The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1854-10-12

!, dlSorder lie Qled IN the river 1hIs seal
y ed the fate of the expedition The sur
d vlvors made no further ezertions to reacl
: Eldorado, but returned to their own coun
try as they could Such was the fate o
Orellana, who as discoverer surpassed
all his countrymen, and though as a con
queror he was unfortunate, yet neither il
he chargeable with any of those atrocitie:
toward the unhappy natives which have
left such stain on the glories of CorteE
and Pizarro.
= The next attempt We read of to discov.
or Eldorado was made few years after
under Hernando de Ribera, by ascending
the La Plata, or river of Paraguay. lie
sailed in brigantine with 50 men, and
encountered no hostility from the natives
They confirmed the stories of the ANA
IONS with their golden city. "How could
they get at them!" was the next question
"by land or by water?" "Only by land ,
was the reply. "But it was two months
journey, and to reach them now would be
impossible because the country was inun-
dated" The Spandiards made light oi
this obstacle, but asked for Indians to
carry their baggage. The chief gave
Ribera twenty for himself and five for
each OF his men; and these desperate ad-
ventures set off on their march over a
flooded country.
Eight days they travelled through water
up to their knees and sometimes up to
their middle. BY Singing their ham
mocks to trees, and by this means only,
could they find dry positions for the night.
Before they could make FIRE to dress
their food, they were obliged to raise a
rude scafolding, and this was unavoidably
so insecure that frequently the fire burned
through, and food and all fell into the
water They reached another tribe, and
were told that the AmazonS' country was
still nine days further on; and then still
another tribe, who told them it would
take a month to reach them. Perhaps
they would still have advanced, but here
an insuperable obstacle met them. The
locusts for two successive years had de-
Youred everything before them, and no
food was to be had. The SpaniardS had
10 alternative but to march back. On
their way they were reduced to great
distress for want of food, and from this
cause and travelling so long half under
water, the greater number fell sick, and
many died. Of eighty men who accom-
panied Ritcra upon this dreadful march
only thirty recovered from its effects.
This expedition added a few items to
the story of Eldorado Ribera declares
under oath that the natives told him of a
nation Of women, governed by woman,
and so warIike as to be dreaded by all
their neighbors. They possessed plenty
of white and yellow metal; their seats and
all the utensils in their houses were made
of them They lived on a large island
which was in a huge la AXE, which they
called the "mansion of the sum-" because
the sun sank into it. The men of the
neighboring tribes visited them three or
four times in the year. When boys were
born they were sent to their fathers, but
the girls were retained and brought up
in the warlike habits of their mothers
The only way of accounting for these
stories is that the Spaniards furnished in
the shape Of questions, the informotion
which they fancied they received in re-
ply, the Indians asserting to what they
understood but imperfectly or not at all.
! After this a good many years elapsed
before any other expedition of note was
fitted out in search of Eldorado But
the story grew, notwithstanding. An
imaginary kingdom was shaped out. Ii
was governed by potenate who was cal.
led the Great Paytiti, sometimes the Great
Moxu, sometimes tho Enim or Great
Para. An impostor at Lima affirmed
that be had been in his capital, the city
of Manoa, where not fewer than 5000
workmen were employed in the silver
smiths street He even produced MAP
of the country, in which he had marked
a bill of gold, another Of silver, and q
third of salt The columns of the palace
were described as of porphyry and ala
baster, the galleries of ebony and cedar
the throne was of ivory, and the ascen
to it by steps of gold. The palace was
built OF White stone. AT the entrance
were two towers, and between them ;
column twenty-five feet liz height. Or
it's top was large silver moon, and twt
living lions were fastened to its base Will
chains of gold Having passed by thes'
, keepers you came into a quadrangle
planted with trees and watered by sill
yer fountain, which spouted through foul
golden pipes. The gate of the palace
was of copper, and its bolt was received
in the solid rock. Within, a golden SUI
was placed upon an altar of silver, ant
four lamps were kept burning before
, day and night. This imaginary king
dom was called Eldorado from the costum
of its emperor. His body was anointet
every morning with certain fragran
gum of great price. and gold dust wa
, then blown upon him through tube, I'll
he was covered with it. The whole wa
washed off at night This the savage
f thought a more magnificent and cost
, attire than could be afforded by any 9th
: or potentate in the world, and hence th