Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-11


trunks Of trees and the substance OK
houses without feeling any resistance
and az length the gods themselves APP
neared and completed the amaZement OIL
Inc Tongese by walking through tneir
bodies as If they had been OF arr 10
away Immediately" said the gods; wo
have no proper food for you. but We VIII
give YOU a fair wind and speedy Voy-
age home" Prohting By the good-na'ureo
offer, they put to sea directly, ana alteI
sailing for some days with the utuiosl
velocity, they at last got safe TO Ion6d.
But in q short space OF time they Gil
died, not as a punishment Tor ha'ins
been at Bolotoo but because the air OF
that happy land was too strong FOR mere
mortals.
We may now advert to the celebrated
fable OF Eel Dorado, which for ages daz-
zled and deluded the most gallant adj
yenturers OF Europe. Columbus him
self imagined that he had nearly APP
preached the original paradise Of our
race. And soon It became generally
credited that wondrous land existed in
the interior of South America. The
capital of this land, Manoa, was said to
consist of houses covered with plates or
gold, and to be built upon a vast Vake
called Parma. the sands Of which were all
of gold. Among the many stories told or
this wondrous region, one Martinez, q
Spaniard, deposed that, having been
made prisoner by tho Guianians. he was
by them carried to their golden capital,
where he remained several years,
and was then conveyed, bind-folded, to
the borders, that he might not be able
to make known the approaches to the
golden land. Won Huten and his COM
panions in arms solemnly ayerred that
they saw but were prevented from
reaching, place containing structures,
the roofs OF which shone with an the brill
liancy of gold.
Such small foundations as may have ex-
listed for the belief in this wondrous land
are set forth by Baron Won Humboldt.
When near the sources OF the Orinoco, he
found the belief in FL Dorado still existing
among the natives, and he points out the
district between the sources Of the RIO Es-
secuibo ard the Rio Branco as furnishing
the groundwork of the fiction. Here, In
! river called Parma, and in small lake
connected with IL, we have basis enough
on which TO found the belief in the great
city on the lake. Islets and rocks OF mica,
slate. and tale rise up within and around.
rejecting from their shining surfaces the
rays of an ardent sun; materials, out
| OF which imagination may have formed
| that gorgeous capital whose temples and
houses were overlaid with plates OF beat
en- gold"
In contrast with this tropical paradise
we have the old classical fable. adopted
also In Scandinavian mythology. or the
land OF the Hyperboreans. who live fur
Their north than even where the north
wind comes from The Hyperborean land
"a one OF perpetual spring. where the
/ hav no n F1rn
| out in happiness and virtue for centu-
ries instead OF decades The Greeks had
heard OF this region. and Herodotus men
lions IL and the fiction which reported its
atmosphere TO DO made up wholly OF
| feathers-an allusion, doubtless. to the
snowfall OF the Arctic regions. For some
where about the North Pole. II anywhere.
must this region be sought for; but none
! OF our adventurers have brought news of
| II. and II DIR. hansen came within hall OF
he has been remarkably reticent On the
Ao<