The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-21
ISLE OF THE THREE MOUNTAINS.
Trinidad, Where Spain Has Estab-
lished u COaIing station.
Edgar salfus. in Collier,s Weekly.


Edgar Salfus, i'm Golfers Weekly.
Trinidad, where Spain has been found
to have surreptitiously concealed a coal
ing station, is not, as has been conven-
iently supposed, the island on which Har-
den Hickey, projected the founding of a
monarchy. That is a Gesolate reef which
lies Off Rio. This a place situated above
the Orinoco much as is a dot on an 81"
Columbus sighted it first. From the mast
head he beheld three mountain tops hence
It's name. Its interest is elsewhere Sir
Waiter Raleigh, whom Queen Elizabeth
called little dear and Coke spider
from hell, sailed. once upon a time, that
way. Precisely as Ponce de Leon sought
In the neighborng waters for the Foun-
tain of Eternal Youth, so did this pic
turesque adventurer. seek the FL Dorado
The belief In the existence of a city of
gold and of gems was one OF the hallucina-
tons Of the age. Orellana, one of Pr
zarros lieutenants, inspired it, Near to
the Orinoco. stretched, he.declared, land
so rich that the wealth of Mexico and
Of Peru was but genteel poverty In COM
parison. The story, repeated from Lisbon
10 London, gathered embroideries in
transit. 1T set Europe mad. According to
the accounts recited in the center OF an
island Of glimmering green stood palace.
Built of marble, fronted with columns of
alabaster, surrounded with galleries of
ebony incrusted with pearls IL surged an
image of what a castle in paradise may
he. Behind. ii were three mountains, one
OF emerald, one of silver and one of gold.
Within was a delicious court in which
lions roamed and where dazzling altar
supported a disc of the sun, before which
four lamps burned perpetually, while
around and about was fairyland
IL Dorado, literally the Gilded, so-caIled
because Of the magnihcence of his appear
ance was the sovereign of this enchant-
ment His body, robbed each morning
with gum, was busted with gold powder.
The costume. being less convenient than
paiamas, at night he was scrubbed and on
the morrow regided. 1t is worth noting
that according to Humboldt, the Guayana
chief used to roll In turtle fat and then
cover themselves with mica, the metallic
effect OF which must have been equally
gorgeous. But that is a detail. Expedi-
tons to the fantastic realm of the fabu-
lous Inca succeeded each other from ev-
cry port One of them was led by Sir
Walter Raleigh. Three hundred and three
years ago he sailed for Trinidad. He
found ii and the mountains, too but of
the nights Of emerald, silver and gold, Of
FL Dorado, of the jeweed palace, the lions
altar, and the rest. not a trace. II viii
be assumed that on his return he exploded
the legend. Not a bit of it, He said that
the place was just as had been described.
only more So and to Queen Elizabeth he
related that at sight of her picture the
| Glded One had swooned with admiration.
| No wonder she called him a little dear.
/ No wonder that Coke called him spider
from hell when the lion was discovered.
/ No wonder either. at the recent and local
/ surprise when Il was found that Spain had
J secured there a port as coaling station.