The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1891-03-05
TREASURES or TIE AZTTCS.
4. Rider HaGSaPd and His Strange Jour.
Dsy 10 MS1iCO.
The story Of Don RodrIEuez Has
started the Author In Search OG
ROmance and Reality.

toward Mexico, out on the trail Of q
subject which he confidently believes will
afford him materal for q new story which
promises to out-Haggard any thing which
his pen has yet produced.
Late last fall he began to look about foE
. new field In which to find material ioT
another novel. Africa had been exhausted,
the south seas had been partly utilized
for "Mr. Meeson's WILL" and the frozen
north had just been called upon to furnish
matter for eric Brighteyes."
A number Of English gentleman own
country seats in the neighborhood Of Mr.
Haggard's home, among them being
Captain Herbert Armitage, formerly O
the ninth lancers, British army. Early
In November he invited q number o.
friends in London to run up to his placG
for a few days shooting, and among
those who came was Mexican gentlemAn
named Don Sebastian Juarez Rodriguez,
whom Captain Armitage had met while
travelling in Mexico q few years before
and was then visiting England.
During his visit to Captain Armitage,
Don Rodriguez met Mr.. Haggard, and
having Mexico in view as a likely place
to find material for a new novel, the
latter naturally sought to obtain all the
information possible from Don Rodiguez,
about his country, its ancient inhabitants
and their legends. 1t did not take the
novelist long to discover that the Mexican
was not only particularly we'll informed
on the subject, but had 4 story to tell.
Don Rodriguez began by saying that
he was direct descendant Of the Spanish
Invader, Cortez, who came to Mexico iu
1910, and an Aztec woman Of rank,
whom the spaniard secretly married.
COrtez and his followers were most
handsomely rewarded by the Aztec
Emperor Monteguma, on their arrival in
the City Of Mexico, but in 1870 CoFtez
repaid his friendliness by imprisoninG
Montezuma in a fortress. When other
Aztec princes and caciques came to the
emperor's aid they were also imprisoned.
These acts Of treachery on the part ol
Cortez cansed the Aztecs to attack the
Spaniards. Pedro de Alcantara gave
battle TO the Aztecs and defeated them, q
number Of Aztec mobiles being killed.
Their treasures, consisting Of gold dust,
gold ornaments and precious stones, taken
from neighboring princes in raids made
on their provinces, were appropriated by
the Spaniards.
In the same year that this battle took
place the Aztecs attacked the Spaniards
in return, and driving them from the City
Of Mexico, slaughtered them in large
numbers on the Talapan road.
After forcing the Spaniards from the
City Of Mexico, the Aztecs, fearing that
their enemies might return and recapturs
the city, decided to 30 secrete the treasures
that the covetous Spaniards could not
again obtain possession Of them. With
this object in view their gold ornaments,
gold utensils and precious stones, spoill
Of war which had been tribute TO the
conquered princes years before from
thousands Of subjects, were 90 securely
hidden that, with but few exceptions, few
Of these treasures have ever been found,
1t being supposed that part were thrown
into the lake near the City Of Mexico,
while more was buried in the earth in
different sections Of the country.
Although married to CorteE his Aztec
wife did not forswear allegiance to her
people. When the treasures belonging to
her people were secreted with those Of
other Aztec families, she was informed Of
their hiding place, and true to her people,
never revealed the location to the enemy.
Previous to her death she left TO her
children q plan, drawn on parchment,
showing the location Of her family 3 hidden
treasures, but the Spaniards having
gained possession Of the country, aided
bV reinforcements from Spain. 1t was
impossible to recover the treasures without
the fact becoming known to the Spaniards,
who would have seized them at once.
The documents were thus handed down
from father to son, but. even after Mexico
had passed out Of the possession Of Spain,
the many revolutions, attended by constant
changes Of governments, prevented search
for the treasure being advisable.
To Don RodriRuez the chart nlan of