Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-06-21


from that port to Panama, decided to
remain some months in Peru. Our
purpose was to visit at least Il few
of its gold mines, and, if possible, to
add to the not fabulous amount of
treasure we had brought with US from
the east.
First, how ever, we spent two weeks
in exploring Callao and Lima.
Apart from its historic associations,
the former city's chief interest for us
lay in the heterogeneous mass Of
visitors thrOnging its streets; for here
were TO be seen seafaring men from al
most every maritime country on earth,
whose ships then swung an anchor
in the great bay. The harbor was con-
tinually covered by myriads Of
strangely tame water foWI-guano pro
modest or disturb.
But the capital city, Lima! Of this
we never tired. To us, accustomed to
the stir and hustle Of AnglO-SaXon life
it seemed like part of another world,
replete with mystery and romance.
Its great plazas and fountains; its
lightly built residences, each fronted
by an open court filed with choice
flowers; its quantity curious equipages;
its perambulating groups of dark
eyed, bOnnetlesS, notwithstanding
senoritaS, softly chattering in musical
Spanish while placidly smoking their
Indispensable cigaritos; its numerous
monasterieS, nunnerieS, and churches
the latter, notably the grand Cathc-
dral. fabulously rich in interior orna-
mentation of gold, silver, and precious
stones; the rivu,cts of water, led down
from the mountain and flowing along
the curbWayS of its principal streets;
its orange, citrOn, lime, and lemon
groves, and its endless variety OF
other subtropical fruits; it's open air,
tree mbowered dancing squares,
where clOaked, SomDrerO-crOWned, spur
iingling caballeroS and their raven
haired partners disported themselves
in the mazes Of maZOurka, fanQangO
and waltz; and last, but not least, the
ever-present army of scavengers, in the
shape of lazily Watchful turkey buz-
yards hardly to be kicked out of the
way OF pedestrians. all combined to
form Il scene OF enchantment which
at least one of our party, Hugh Nc
Donald, young fellow of "a, was ex-
tremely lOath to leave.
But, called by Sterner duties, we
took ship for the northern port of Mo-
cute, where, after a brief stay in CaXa-
marca, we went on tour of inspection
to the ancient gold fields of Curimayo
From time long antedating the adj
vent of the Incas gold washing had
been carried on here, not only in the
rivers bed but also in numerous
gulcheS on either side. Under the
vigorous rule of the Incas the yield
from these di~gings increased many
fold, but did not attain its maximum
until the fifth year of Spanish occu-
valley.
pancy when, by the enforced labor Of
legionS of enSlaved natives, it rose in
twelve months to the enormous aggre-
gate Of 1873, 900 ounces, or nearly two
and a half millions of dollars. Then
the production gradually fell away I'M
TIL at the date of our visit, it barely
paid living wages to threeScorc of
spiritless miners.
One of these fellows, who spoke Eng
liSh pasSably we'll, showed us weed
grown ditch, leading from the waters
edge to Il low, rocky hill, which he
called the "tlOnzo Mine" '"1'waS sc
named" he said, ''after the youngest
of the Pizarro brothers"
-i.,r
maiden, DESTROYS of winning the favor
of the daring cavalier, penetrated tC
his resting place in the dead of night
and, by signs, induced him to follow
her.
On coming to the pile of rocks she
marked out, by dropping grains OF
corn along the ground, somewhat
tortuous line from there to the river
making the Spaniard understand thai
beneath the everything soil much golC
might be found.
The credulouS adventurer at once
set a gang of Indian slaves to work
and was rewarded by finding not only
crevice exceedingly rich in virgin
gold, extending from the bed of tn
stream to the rock, but also under tn,
lee of the latter, so vast quantit.
of buried treasure that, after deduct
ing one-tifth of the Spanish crown, h
had for himself and followers a.
amount in value to $4,000 doubloons
$780,, 900.
But, alas for the lovelorn maid! Sh
mad betrayed the secret of her people
and her fate was sealed. AS he rod
out one morning to the Wealth-prOdu(
ing ditch Alonzo found her lifeIes
body lying across his path, a cord Ell
circling her neck and the hilt of
stiletto proruding from her pierce
bosom, showing all too plainly hoy
she had come by her death.
Although fearfully avenged by he
lover and his fierce soldiery the poo
girls unquiet ghost yet haunts, our il
formant declared, the scene of he
murder, which no amount of none
could induce him or any other natiy
to approach after nightfaH
All sorts of curious traditions an
quaint folk lore prevail among the sir
pie abOrigineS of this region, VIII
though for the most part at least mol
inally Christians, are as superstition
as were their ancestors in those reno
days when their alteration OF lido
gave place to sun worship, forced upt
them by the victorious Incas, to be
its turn superseded by the teaching
Of the Spanish priests.
More than once | have seen an o