The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-09-04

Belief That Famed Riches Of
South America Still Exist.

| HTIV IIITT
| or the world has usually been stimulus
Ter search and discovery of, similar prod
uct IN other territories In tho early
days OF Spanish domination of South
| America the Tichness OF the pearl beds
that lay near the island of Margueri re-
had the effect Of bringing into active
peorGton the pearl fisheries Of the sAIedi-
terranean, which had long lain dormant
ana III starting new explorations at
| points on the coast Of Africa that had
been forgotten ana abandoned for con-
| turies. The forty-niners of California
suggested expeditions to tho lard of the
lpcas and the petroleum wells of wes-
| tern PeDnsylvania the boring for oil in
| eimost every county where the formation
gave the slightest indication of its exis-
| tence.
GOLD IN OTHER LANDS.
And the same is truo of the present mad
! rush 10 the klondike. From Bolivia,
! from Peru, from NeLezuela, ana uD
| farther north OF tho Isthmus I'm Nicaragua
| comes tho news of tho finding of gold,
| and the stories arc being told over again
| OF the vast treasures Of metal that are TO
be had for the seeking. in the places
where the early conquerors of the con-
| tinent found fabulous mines of wealth.
| IL was the klondike fever that brought
! forth the expression Of the Bolivian
| statesman, Senor Pa2, concerning the
! wonderful richness of his'country in tho
hbbhnhhhN VI tlusIt lullNN hlAb ult
| awaiting modern exploitation TO develop
| their mineral wealth, and from the an.
| cient city Of CGXamarcG. where Prescott
/ in his eXuberant fancy painted the pic-
/ ture OF golden empire. 10 is said that
/ The secret of PiZarro has been unearthed
tnat the sources from which the sun
worshipping Peruyians drew the wonder
/ ful supplies that daZzled the grasping
| spaniards bave been discovered. Who
does not remember that exciting ro-
pance, served IN in the guiSe of history
| OF the Inca buying his freedom, or at
least bargaining To buy IT, by filing
with gold the room in which he was con-
fined las high as he could reach?"
THE GOLD OF THE INCAS.
How the blood of youth tingled over
these well-remem bered passages in 1.-THE
Conquest Of Peru -
''All theiplate. tine ornaments, the uten-
slls OF every description Appropriated
the uses of religions were of gold or sill
YER. Twelve immense vases of the latter
metal stood on the floor of the great sa-
loon filled with grain of the Indian corn
The censors for the perfumes, tie ewers
which held tho water for the sacrifice, tho
pipes which conducted IL through the sub
terraneous channels into the buildings, the
reservoirs that received it, evenithe agr-
cultural implements used in the gardens
of the temple were all OF tho same rich
materials. The garden, like those de-
scribed belonging TO the royal aiaCes,
parked with flowers of gold and silver
and various limitations of the veget able
Kingdom. Animals also were TO be found
there-among which the llama with its
golden fleece was most coDspicuous-eXe-
cutod in the same style and with degree
of skill which in this instance probably
did not surpass the excellence of<he ma
terial "
What dreams of the glittering gold
followed the reading of the Inca's mag
Ditcent offer TO pay kingly ransom for
his freedom and what IA suggestion it
conveyed to the fabulous riches of the
dominion that could produce such
wealth.
In the hope, therefore. to effect his
purpose by appealing 10 the avarice of
his keepers. he one day told Pizarro that,
il he would set him free he would engage
To cover the floor of the apartment on
which they stood with gold. Those
present listened with an incredulous
smile and rs the Inca received no answer,
he said, with some emphasis. that he
would not merely cover the floor but
would fill the room with gold as high as
no could reach, and. standing on tiptoe
he stretched out his hand against the
wall.
'All stared with ama2oment, while
they regarded it as the insane boast of "A
man too eager TO procure his liberty to
weigh the meaning OF his words. Yet
iALuIIb was rOItlN ItIltAtu.
"As he had advanced into the country
much that he had seen and all that he mad
heard had confirmed the dazzling reports
first received of the riches of Peru
Atahualpa himself had given him the
most glowing pictures OF the wealth of the
capital where the roofs of the temples
were plated with gold, while the walls
were. hung with tapestry and the floors i'm
laid with tiles of the same precious metal
There must bo some foundation for
all this. AZ all eveLts. 10 was safe TO
accedc 10 the lnca's proposition, since, by
so doing, he could collect at once all the
gold at his disposal. and thus prevent its
being purluiDed or secreted by the natives
BE therefore: acquiesced in Atahualpa's
offer, and, drawing n red line along
the wall III the height which tho Inca had
indicated, he caused the terms of the pro-
posal TO be duly recorded by the notary.
The apartment was about seventeen feet
hroad ty twenty-five feet long, ana the
line round tho walls was nine feet from
the floor This space was to b3 filled
with gold; but il was understood that the
gold was not To be melted down into !
ingots, but Co retain tho original form of
the articles into which it was manufac-
tUrcd. that the Inca might have tho bene- /
flt oi the space which they occupied lie I
further hgrcod TO FIJI mn adioining-room |
of smaller dimensions twice full Of silver |
In like manner; and he demanded two |
A KINGS RANSOM
The specific value of the ransom is ro-
lat at in tiis plsspgC:
Tho business Of melting down the
plate was intrustcd 10 tho Indian gold
smiths, who wero thus required TO undo
the work of their own hands. They toiled
day and night but such was the qaunttty
TO ba recast that a. consumed "a full
month. When the whole was reduced To
bars of "a uniform standard they wcro
nicely weighed. unuor the superintend.
ence OF the royal inspectors. The total
amount of the goid was found 60 be /, 32G.
$50 pesos dc orc. which, allowing for the
gr n or value OF money ia tho sixteenth
century, would .be equiyaleuS. probably
at the present TIME, 20 nearly three mil
lion and half pounds sterling for some.
what less than fifteen millions ana n half
of collars"
To this day the traveller may SOC the
room wherein tho royal captive bar
gained with the invaders for his life, and
the mark where his hand roachcd 10 indi-
cato the depth Of the mass of gold thnt no |