The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-10
A RIVAL TO KLoNDYKE.
Discovery of Gold Diggings Down In
Peru.

a short time ago The Herald mad,
mention of the fact that the golt
fields of Peru offered more attraction
than could be found in the barren an.
inhospitable regions of Alaska. ant
this assertion has been corroboratet
by a writer in the San Francisco Elk
aminer. who says:
Your article about the new discover
les of gold in Peru was shown TO me
only this morning. and in this time Of
gold fever excitement I will give, with
much pleasure, TO your readers par
ticulars about the gold fields in t..
region situated east of Cusco, which
| put the Klondylle discoveries in the
shade. I would say that besides Cap
/ tain de Miranda, now living at the Pal
ace hotel, l am the only one in the city
of San Francisco who has ever walked
over these Peruvian gold fields with
out being able to work them.
Ever since PiZarra made the con-
quest of Peru everybody knew the I'M
told wealth buried east of Cusco. and
wherefrom the Incas and their chief,
4lthahnaipa, drew the gold they paid
to the SDaniards. But at their chief
death the secret was buried with his
body, and all the viceroys, all the pro-
vincial governors, and especially all
the priests and monks have been I'M
able TO discover it.
AS far back at 1869 NJ. Pertinest, a
Frenchman. with a party of Peruvian
natives and a few adventures, tried
TO penetrate that unknown country.
They had to give it UP, the Indians be-
ing so ferocious and so jealous of
their land. They came back with spec
linens of gold so wonderful that sew
eral expeditions were started from
Lima and other parts, one especially
being fitted out by a wealthy French
merchant of Arequipa and africa. All
had come back without any success,
but all bringing samples of virgin gold
so wonderfully rich that prospectors
tried to penetrate the country. Most
of them never came back.
In 1870 | was With the Baron Aruous
de Riviere, proprietor Of the silver
mine called Caracoles and of the guano
mine. called Pabellon de Plea Both
were situated in what was then b.
liyia. Since the war between Peru and
Chilli. I think Il is Gillian territory.
That year the Baron Aruous de Riviere
fitted an expedition for the purpose OF
attempting once more TO discover the
mines of the Incas. 4 troop of cavalry
was given to US as an escort.
The country where the gold fields
are is crossed by numerous rivers and
creeks flowing from the Andes. Many
have their outlets from Take Titicaca.
where are situated the two principal
towns OF Sucre and La PaZ. From
that point, after a journey of about
It's 10 200 miles, easily made by means
either Of mules or horses, you reach the
gold fields. There a man with a shot
gun does not need any provisions. The
waters swarm with fish and the forests
with game. Tbs trees will give you
all kinds of fruits, such as Dalta "a
kind of vegetable butter, the cherep-
nova, etc).
AS 10 the gold the following example
will speak for itself. When we started
from Cusco we had mules loaded with
all Kinds of things. Any time an In
lian wanted 10 buy he came to US with
nuggets. If he had not enough he
went away and came back a few days |
later with more nuggets. The country
IS perfectly healthy, chinchona growing |
wild. The cocoa leaf is used by the |
Indihns as food. An Indian viii walk !
100 miles with a few leaves of cocoa |
and quicklinne dust. He uses 1t as fol- |
ows: He takes a few leaves, vets /
hem IN his mouth. rubs them in quick |
inc dust and chews them. He can |
walk miles without taking any other |
Each river has more gold that the |
Zlondyke ever had, and it has been
worked for centuries by the Indians.