Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1901-12-06
THE LOST
GOLD MINE
An Inscription In a Lost Language
Tells Where Il Is Located.

This soldier OF fortune was searching
for some stray asphalt bed in one OF
the wooded wildernesses OF Venezuela.
Accompanied by two native servants,
half breed guide and young COM
panion from the States. who knew lit
BE of roughlng ii. he had left the dingy
old river steamer at the point where
the Csura flows into the Orinoco and
rowed slowly up the smaller stream In
~ tie province or Guiana.
Tie chief adventurer had heard, In
his rambles among the old inhabitants
of Caracas. OF lakes OF bitumen In this
region which had never been discover
ed by the all consuming companies
which were creating such disturbance
10y their disagreements. This was the
land @ the Parabena Indians. de-
scendants OF the ancient Toltecs, quiet
and gregarious. Ii was probably
through some wandering trapper from
these Indians that the story OF the
asphalt beds had reached the country
of civilization.
But the chief OF the expedition had
read OF the strange discovery OF the
diamond mines of Golconda, OF the
gold of the Transvaal. and he was will
ing to risk something to find the hidden
asphalt beds OF Venezuela. He and his
companions rowed up the Caura for
three days, camping by night in their
little boat. as partial protection
against the fauna that abounded on
shore.
On the night OF the third day they
found a clear space by the side of the
stream, and there they decided to land.
They slept that night In their boat
again, but were up early next morn
ing, ready For the explorations of the
day. The boat was snugly moored I'M
der a clump OF trees whose luxuriant
boughs overhung the water, and the
travellers started out.
The soldier OF fortune found that he
was near Mount Chanaro, right In the
heart of the Parabena country. AS he
had been told that these Indians were
very docile, like the North American
Lenapes. he was rather curious than
otherwise to meet one OF them. But
he encountered no sign Of habitation
or trail on that day. 1t was all a wild
country, covered with high underbrush
and an abundance OF trees. The trees,
however were not very close together,
and travel was made correspondingly
easy.
1t was late In the afternoon. Allison
Glenn and his party were walking
along the mountain side. about hun
dred yards from where the earth be-
gins to ascend. No asphalt had been
found. Suddenly the leader OF the
party espied curious projection OF
leaves. stone, and dirt rising some six
feet not far ahead.
An examination was made, more as a
matter of curiosity than anything else
The dead leaves were brushed away.
and at one end of this long projection
there was found carving that resem-
bled closely the head OF a huge fish.
The carving was so accurate that
Glenn made UP his mind that this was
not mere freak OF nature, and he
ordered his men TO completely uncover
the rock, for the entire projection ap-
peared to be a rock covered over with
the fallen vegetation OF years upon
years
The sight that met the eyes OF the
travellers when all was made bare was
a startling one. 1t was q carved piece
OF solid stone. some 20 feet long and
about 4 feet from the ground at the
highest point. The lines of the fish
were carefully reproduced, although
with the hand of an amateur. The
years that had passed had disintegrat-
ed parts of the huge rock, bat enough
was there to make it certain that this
was the handicraft OF human beings.
What was still more convincing OF
the fact that man had been there was
n line of hieroglyphIcs OH one side and
near the head of the fish, These crude
letters closely resembIed inscriptions
Glenn had observed on old Toltec re-
lies preserved iii Caracas. But they
meant nothing to him then except the
belief that became firmly rooted In his
mind at once that he had encountered
an unusual mystery.
The next day the Adventures were
early at work clearing away the debris
from around the stone fish. cutting
down the trees and digging into the
OuICll
must be in this neighborhood, it was
reasoned. But nothing was found.
Glenn then determined to clear away
the trees and get a good photograph OF
the object with the small camera he
carried. This was done.
No trace of asphalt had been found.
The soldier of fortune, like all his ilk
at times of uncertainty, was restless.
He longed to have the mystery OF
Mount Chanaro solved. He decided at
once to return to Caracas and there to
report his curious find.
Glenn was a taciturn, inquiring kind
or fellow. He liked to ask questions,
but little relished the answering OF
them. He hal no intention of making
any formal report of his discovery. He
had little opinion. anyway. of the aris-
tocracy of the Venezuelan capital upon
matters OF archaeological interest and
so he determined once again to seek
his old friends of the suburbs of the
town-.quaint individuals who lived in
the past whose language was still