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

tho Ndyb vi tne lnthS. numerous naNO
been the expeditions tittod ont to repent
the achievements OF the uOnquerurs aud
numerous have beon the GisappontEents
Tho California PXcitemenu had the usual
result Of bringing 10 mind again thu rich
aurierous fields OF the Peruvian Cordil-
leras and OF stimulating further search
but OK hundred attempts, scarcely half
dozen proved profitable enough To paw
expenses Warned, perhaps. by some
word, handed down from father 20 son.
the natives kept tho secret from tho
stranger VINO, instead OF finding temples
with roofs of goid, and saCrUr vessels OF
the same precious metal found only fever
and death.
Later day Investigation has shown that
while these fGnciful stories or gilded
fairyland had led men into a mad chase
after an ignis fatuus there existed n firm
foundation for tine belief that gold i'm
vast quantities was 10 be found IN all of
that vast territory which uD to this time
has been practically uneXp. orod, and
which offers opportunities equally as i'm
vlting as the opportunities Of tho upper
Yukon. In southern Peru tho eastern
Andos-which rise from the basin of the
Amazon and form the inner chain Of the
great mountain system-are rich in
quartz veins. The thickness of the strata
which are Of slurian formation with
talcose and clay states, is not less than
10. 600 feet and the amount of gold that
leyond calculation. At the point where
the Andes connects with the central chain
OF the three RToat ranges and near Lake
Iiticaca the natives possess u socrst of
the location Of golden treasure which they
jealousy guard, bringing the dust and
the quartz % the explorer. but giving
him no opportunity 10 discover the source
from which it is obtained And while i5
scarcely seems credible i'm these days Of
sleepless energy no successful attempt
has yet been made To track these sons Of
the mountain 10 their treasure house.
These ratives are the descendants of the
race anciently called Cola, but now
known as Aymara Their language and
customs survive. Ihey are a docile, peace-
ful e)p Q OF remarkably sec i've temper
ament, aad indolent TO degree. Their
wants are few and easily supplied What
gold they gather is bartered of at about
two.thirds of its value TO the white men
rUT 1mMeuIat5 neC0gslties or TO gratiTy q
fancy for an article novel TO them Of
which they desire TO become possessed.
A wAR-LIKE PEOPLE.
Farther to the east and beyond the inner
range Of mountains dwell fierce and
war-liko tribe, whose numbers have never
been accurately estimated The few white
men who have penetrated tho almost
DO Indless forests whero these people have
their homes bring back wonderful tales
OF the richness OF the country.
Mr.. Edward Clay, OF Boston, who as
ccnded one of tho tributaries of the UcGv-
allan River in 1882 said that the beds
of many Of the streams no saw were gilt
tering with golden sands, but that IL -,rsis-
impossible to take any Of IL away owing
TO the watchfulness Of tho natives lhey
made no practical use of their possessions,
beyond fashioning few crude vessels.
used in religious ceremonies. None of tho
gold was used for ornamental PURPOSES.
EnN flnrn fnr
their ceaseless vigilance. But, with all
these obstacles and discouragements, the
day cannct be far distant, said DIR. Clay,
in describing the wonders of the regicn
he visited, when North american energy
and perseverance will change the entire
character OF these strange people by over
coming their scruples and securing their
o0-operation. There have been so Fmany
disappontmentS " said he, "that peopla
are wary about accepting tales of fabulous
wealth in South America. and this is
largely due to the outrageous exaggeration
of the earlier historians whose statements
nave Eever been properly corrected.
An expedition that goes to Peru now
adRys in the expectation of seeing lot OF
naked savage, wearing gold headgear,
eating out of gold plates, in Rold-roofed
house. will be sadly disappointed. it is
astonishing how many people go down
there with these wild ideas. Such tenn
peraments are not calculated TO meet
with reverses or endure hardshiDs. and
their credulity leads them TO accept every
nod and every statement from prospectors
who make iJ n business to give wrong
steers, in order 10 protect the fruit OF
their own toll and patience These
dreamers have no business in gold seek
ing.
PRACTICAL MINING.
"T.et practical miners of experience go
into these mighty mountains and they
will find ample reward for their labor
It Is true that there are many of the old
Spanish mines. which could not havv
been exhausted 10y the crude methods en-
ployed three hundred years ago. We
know that with modern appliances the
work of mining is hHstoned 800 per cent.
at 10 impossible that these mines could
have been worked out. They have been
hidden so long that it is doubtful IL the
Indians could find them again, although
firmly believe that the secret has been
Kept in several Of the tribes from ono
generation TO the other.
lone OF these old mines was rediscov-
cred by chance without the aid of the
Indians n little more than year ago,
and after the owners have their title
oopper-riveted aud cipohed they will
probably astonish tho world with the
richness of their find. These men have
hunted for gold i'm all parts of the world
and make a business of it. They take no
stock in the old yarns. A true iissure vein
would mean more To thom than a history
of all tho crowns that Huascar and that
brother Of his ever wore or ever saw
"The rush to the klondiks is likely to
divert attention from the fields OF South
America, for a year at least, but within
the next fifteen years / firmly and conf
IDENTIFY believe that tho production OF gold
i'm all of south and Central America will
be- something eDormoHs and will exceed
In quantity, within given ptrioC, the
production at any stage Of tho world o
history"
THE WONDERFUL AMAZON.
From the NJ per Amazon that ruaion
" wonderful animal life, with its monster
)ythons ard pigmy maj seating ISL, cone
mysterious hints OF ba1tling
brooks purling over beds OF golden sand.
md washing rocky hanks streakcd with
onR veins of the precious yellow nctaL
But the location uf thesc wonderful snOts
= vague and tho secret cannot De disc irsPd
until good round sum is paid Tor tho
concession. and when this ~ ioue ard
ne purchaser succeeds IN IraNiur The