THE CITY OF THE ANTS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 248, 31 October 1872, Page 8

THE CITY OF THE ANTS.

The following tall story we extract from the "New York Sun," August 16th. The " Sun " spoke yesterday of the discoveries made, by Mr. C. B. Moorhouse in the wilds of Arizona in his recent explorations in that Territory. A reporter had another conversation, yesterday with Mr. Moorhouse, who gave an enthusiastic and glowing account of the wonders of this new . Golconda. He wore as. an ornament in his shirt front a large piece of virgin gold, weighing more than half an ounce, which was literally crusted with rubies, sapphires, and' other' precious stones, picked up in, this new Golconda, the location of which is known only to himself and brother and one other gentleman.

These stones, if not, genuine and valuable, are certainly beautiful, and glittered in the light with a splendor equal to any of the approved gems offered for . sale Ijy our jewellers. This particular diamond-field is several miles distant lrom any known highway of travel, in' a valley high up hv the mountains, inhabited bnly^y Indians.

Mr. JVtoorhouse gave a graphic description of a strange city which' he visited, rivalling in splendor the wildest vagaries of the Oriental dreamer drunken.with the fumes of opium or steeped in the languors of the lotos. One day as the trio were pushing up the mountainside hunting deer, they emerged from the thick chap paral. into a large city- of ant-bftls, or tumuli^ covering many acres. The spectacle was enchanting, although at the time the hunters did riot realize . their surroundings, The whole "insect city coruscated with a blaze of precious gems, throwing back the sunlight from ten thousand facets over -which the myriad inhabitants were hurrying on their foraysinto the chapparal in search of.provisions.

These ant-hills vary in size frojn two to four feet in height, and from six to twelve feet at the base. At or near the top are one' or pore entrances, some four inches* in diameter, through which the .inhabitants pass to the cells which honeycomb the interior, The ants are red and about the si?e of the common black ant ofj the East. In each hill are to. be found from one to a dozen queens, large blacl?-winge4 crelatures,

which generally sit about the entrances and receive the homage of every ant that passes. ' These, hills were literally crusted over with precious stones, and the streets, which have some degree of regularity, were payed with gems which .would make a fair ransom for a kingdom. Mr. Moorhouse spoke of one particular palace more richly decorated than the rest, while at the doorway lay a ruby larger than . a quail's egg, surrounded by . smaller stones of different kinds .and brillancy. On the central ruby sat a statelj queen, with shining, iris-veined wings, receiving the homage of her multitudinous subjects as they passed to and fro upon their daily duties. The brilliancy of the scene struck the hunters with wonder and surprise, but they seemed to have no idea of the value of the treasures before them. They gathered up specimens of the most brilliant, including the Oriental

throne of the queen, and some of them wore among those exhibited to the " Sun " reporter yesterday. One massive sapphire, with a surface of nearly one-fourth of an inch, seemed only to need the skilful touch of the lapidary to make it a magnificent gem. " I can gather a bushel like that in that valley," said Mr. Moorhouse. " I had no idea of their value then. The most of the specimens f gathered I gave away to my friends as curiosities. To a little girl in my native village I g ive a ruby as large as the end of my thumb. Child-like, she lost it before its value was discovered."

The specimens • exhibited by Mr. Moorhouse embrace several varieties. He says that he is not sure whether he could tell a diamond in the rough, and consequently does not know whether he picked up and gave away any genuine diamonds or not. After the excitement about finding diamond and .other precious stones in Arizona sprang up, Mr. Moorhouse concluded that his discovery was a rich one. He took measures to ascertain whether the specimens lie still retained were of any real value, and is satisfied that they are, and that .diamonds in great quantities are to be found in the magnificent city of the ants.