The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-12-06
RICHES In LAKE.
PROJECT To DRAIN SHEET OF
WATER
In Colombia, Where Natives Hid
Treasures.

Treasures.
Probably no country on earth is more
generally unknown to the rest Of the
world than the Republic of Colombia.
1t is the northernmost land of South
America. In earlier times it was called
New-Granada. 1t stretches up through
the Isthmus of Panama to the north
ward and southerly to Ecuador and
Brazil. Oyerrun though it was by the
spaniards from the early days after
the discovery of America, its interior
is at present almost as much a land of
mystery to the outside world as Cen
trail Africa.
Many centuries ago-legend itself
does not hint from what prehistoric
age-there dwelt in the vast plains of
the Andes, two miles above the level
OF the sea, a nation of Indians. OF
their religion little is known, yet one Of
it's monuments to-day is the sacred
lake of Guatavita.
This little lake, 10000 feet above the
sea, lies not more than fifty miles from
the lofty city of Bogota, the capital OF
the republic. 1t is nearly circular,
only about quarter of mile in DAM
eter, and not more than forty-five feet
at its greatest depth. This lake, with
its almost ice cold water, has no known
inlet or outlet Fresh and pure as a
running river, walled in on all sides by
rugged hills it was regarded in those
forgotten centuries as the home of a
deity
Annually from imrnemorial ages it
was the Indian custom to descend over
the hills and visit the region with gold
en- offerings to propitiate the god whose
home was supposed to be in the waters
Of the Lake of Guatavita. Once every
year the king Of the land was anointed
with oil and then powdered with gold
dust, in which condition he was pro-
PEELED in canoe to the center of the
lake. The multitudes of his subjects
meantime gathered along the shore. At
given signal the king plunged into
the lake and the gold dust from the
body of this Eel Dorado" was washed
away as an offering to the god. At the
same signal the throng upon the shore
turned their backs and threw their Of
ferings of gold and silver and e1neralds
over their shoulders into the water.
Emerald mines Of great Importance
are in the nearby recesses of the
Andes. 1t Is believed that in emeralds
alone, nothing of gold and silver orna-
ments, millions of dollars In value still
lie at the bottom of this lake. One
emerald taken from the lake and val
ued at the equivalent of $4,000 is now
among the crown jewels of Spain.
When Quesada, the Spanish general,
came to conquer this land, the private
wealth of the natives and all the treas
ures of their temples are said to have
been taken here and cast under the
protection of the god
Quesada landed at Santa Marta in
the year 1885 and was two years in
reaching the plains of Bogota. Slowly
he cut his way through the virgin for
ests up the Magdalena for six hundred
miles or more, and then, attracted by
tales of the riches that awaited his
plundering hand on the upper plains,
he climbed with his army over the
three ridges of the Andes that inter-
vened. He was then escorted by In
dams who were friendly to the tribes
about the Lake of Guatavita, and by
these Indians was taken past the Tenn
pie of Tunja--the object being to pre-
vent the spaniards from finding out
where their great treasures were con-
cealed. 1t was then. after the Span
iards had passed that, fearing their re-
turn, these treasures were carried to
Lake Guatavita and thrown into the
waters.
It is recorded in the history of Pedro
Simon that the cacique of Simijaca
sent forty loads by forty Indians each
carrying one hundred pounds and this
statement he proves by the nephew and
successor of that cacique who escorted.
Che treasure. The legend is that one
gold chain cast into the lake was so
heavy that it required hundred men
to carry it. Of course, this last story