Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-12-28
ORGANIZED THlEveRr.
A Peruvian Company Whose Object Is the
Plundering of the Dead.


A Peruvian Company Whose Object Is the
PlunderIng OF the Dead.
A limited liability company has been
formed at Mellendo, with capital OF
100000. 1t Is called the Compana
Anonima Exploradora de Las Huscas
del Inca, and its business is to be the
searching of the old burial grounds OF
the Peruvian Incas, for buried treasure
In money or other valuables. 1t has
received a concession from the Peru
Wan authorities. and proposes TO go at
its work in a systematic, business-like
fashion. The field OF the company has
been pretty well worked over already
by the horde of hap-hazard plumber
ers from all parts OF the world, who
have Hocked to Peru from the times OF
Pizarro till the present day, but there
are yet some very substantial legends
Of buried wealth that has not yet been
discovered. Under the old Cestle OF
Guzco. for instance, Felipe do Pomanes
tells that there is vault containing
figures OF all the Incas wrought in
line gold, and that in his own day
they had been seen by a certain Dona
Maria de Esquevil. She, the story
goes, was married to descendant OF
the Incas. and reproached him with
being too poor to support her properly
This, at last, 30 irritated him that he
led her blindfolded through many
winding passages into room where
she saw wealth such us no mortal ever
dreamed Of, and asked her what she
thought OF that for a poor mans nest
egg. When Humboldt was exploring
the ncighborhood OF the Temple OF
the Sun, at Cuzco, n poor lad, u de-
eendant OF the ancient kings, told him
the story, which Is still current among
he Indians, that the golden chair OF
the Incas was sunk In the baths at Pull
tamarac, and that there are gardens
with artificial trees Of the purest gold
beneath the temple. These gardens,
by the way, are mentioned by the ear
lest historians Of the Conquest. Hum
bolts lad, when asked why he did not
seek for this hidden treasure, said that
Il would do him no good II he found
it, but would only cause his ncighbors
to hate and injure him. ave have a
little field he said, land good wheat"
That contented him. This same spirit
seems to have animated all the de-
scendants ofethe ancient race of Peru,
and encourages people like those who
have just put $40. 600 into the Society
Exploradora to hope that only Il part
of the ancient treasure has ever been
discovered. II is alleged that the In
dams can generally got gold when they
actually need 1t, as at the time OF the
rebellion of Pumacaqua, in 1914, when,
according to the story of an old
goman OF the Astete family, told
20 Mr.. Markham some thirty years
ago. her father having been a col
league of Pumacaqua and present al
the time, Pumacaqua entered the coun-
Ill chambers laden with gold and drip
ling wet. from journey he had made
! Up the bed OF the Huatanay to cave
| He'd with golden figures. IL was al
'ays believed then, according to the
historians, that tho rebel chiefs had
ONE such store to draw upon; and ii
is certain that after his final defeat
Pumacaqua offered the thieves pile
# gold bigger than that Of Atahualpa,
he ancient chieftain, as ransom for
lis life. The offer was declined, and
re died with the secret unrevealed, at
east to his conquerors.
This Atahualpa, 1t is matter Of his
Dry, when in captivity, offered a room
He'd with gold as a ransom. but Pizar-
% demanded double the amount, and
he Iucas agreeing. sent messengers all
'ver the kingdom to bring it. These
uessengers, on their way to the cap
tai. heard that Atahualpa had been
.trangled, and they threw down their
Dads OF gold, and. it is said, buried
hem somewhere in the mountains OF
i.langanati, to the northwest of Quito,
hough no search has ever revealed
he spot. Then there is the golden
hahn OF the Incas every link as thick
Is mans arm. and its length SO great
N'N ~ wow tWANO olObhd WIG SIteti
square, OF Huacapata, and which
$ said to have been thrown into
he deep lake OF Urcos to save
from the Spaniards. There can still
be seen drift which the Spaniards
started through the mountains to drain
Tho lake, but which was never com
pleted. While these and similar le
gends do very well to fire the ardor o.
dubious investors in the stock of the
society Exploradora, it is highly prob
able that the actual work of the com
pauy will be in the less romantic line
If digging up the bones of ancient in
habltants for the sake of the trinket;
which may have been buried with
hem. This sort OF petty thievcry i,
,ess attractive to the Imagination thar
The exhumation of forests Of colder
trees and conventions of golden Incas
but it will probably pay better in tn,
end. Y. San.
u