St. Paul daily globe., 1885-07-26
HIDDEN INCA TREASURES.
SIo<es OF Gold that Lie GIittering in
iMountain Fastnesses.

writing from Quito, a correspondent of
the Boston Herald recites the tradition
still preserved in Ecuador relative to the
buried ransom of the last of the Incas.
The Spaniards under Pizarro. he saws.
landed first on the Island of Puma, at the
mouth of the harbOr of Guayauuil, aud
landed upon the main coast of Tumbez in
Peru, few miles southwark. Here they
found that the IncaS, for the first time in
the history of that remarkable race. were
at war. Huayna-Capac, the greatest of
the Incas, made Quito his capital, and
there lived in a SplendOr unsurpassed i'm
ancient or modern times. At his death he
divided his kingdom into two parts, giving
to Atahualpa the northern half, and to
Huascar what is now Bolivia and the
southern part of Peru. The two brothers
went to war and while they were engaged
III 1t PlZZarO came. Everybody who has
read PreScOttS fascinating volumes knows
what followed. With the aid of the
SpaniarllS, Atahualpa conquered his brother
and then the SpaniardS conquered him.
When he lay prisoner in the hands of
the guests he offered to fill his prison with
gold if they would release him. They
agreed and his willing subjects brought the
treasure, but the greedy SpaniardS, always
treacherOuS, demanded more, and Atahualpa
sent for it. Runners were hurried all over
the country. and the simple, unseliSh people
surrendered all their wealth to save their
King. But PiZarrO became tired of waiting
for the treasure to come. and the men in
charge OF it, being met by the news that
Atahualpa had been Strangled, buried the
gold and silver in the mountains of
Llauganati where the Spaniards have been
searching for it ever since.
No amount of persuasion, temptation or
torture could wiring from the Indians the
secrets of the buried gold. Two men Of
modern times arc supposed to have known
It's hiding place. One of them, an Indian,
became mysteTiOuSly rich and built the
church OF San Francisco i'll Quito. On his
death-bed he is said to have revealed to the
priest who confessed him that his wealth
came from the hidden Inca treasure. but
he died without imparting the knOwlege
of its location. Another man. Valverde
by name, Spaniard. married an Inca
woman, and is supposed to have learned
the secret from her, for he Sprdng from
abiect poverty to the summit of wealth
almost in single night. without visible
means of support" Nalverde when he
died left as legacy to the king of Spain
guide to the buried treasure. Hundreds of
lNAAtllicS HINC DGCil MdSlc1 anu
OF lives have been lost in vain at
tempt to follow Valyerde's directions.
They are certainly plain to certain point.
where the trail ends. and cannot be fol-
lowed farther because of deep ravine,
which the credulouS assert has been opened
since Nalverde died. by an earthquake.
These searches have been prosecuted by
the government as well as by private indi-
viduals, and if all the money that has been
spent hunting for Atahualpa's ransom had
been invested in roads and other internal
improvements the country would be much
richer and the people much more pros
porous than they are.
The devotion of the Indians to the men,
Ory Of their king, who was Strangled $50
years ago. is very touching. When ''the
last of the mcaS" fell he left his
people in perpetual mourning, and the
women wear nothing but black to-day. 1t
is pathetic custom for the race not to show
upon their costumes the slightest hint of
color. Over a short black skirt they wear a
sort of mantle. which resembles in its
appearance as well as in its use the ''manta"
that is worn by the ladies of Peru, and the
'"mantilla" of Spain. 1t is drawn over their
foreheadS and across the chin and pinned
between the shoulders. This sOmber COS
tune gives them a nm.like appearance,
which is heightened by the stealthy,
silent way in which they dart through
the streets. The cloth is woven on their
own native looms of the wool of the
llama and the vicunaS. and is q soft, fine
texture. While the Indians have accepted
tine Catholic religion, three hundred and
fifty years of submission have not entirely |
divorced them from the ancient rites they
practiced under their original civilization.
Several times year they have feasts or
celebrations to commemorate some event in |
Inca history, and, like the AztecS in Mexico,
they still cling 10 hope that future ages
may restore the dynasty under which their |
fathers lived and destroy the hated
SpaniarlS.