Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1912-12-28

eel Dorado" he said softly "El Dorado. after
centuries. The gifts of the golden man. The
treasure of the sacred lake"
Out Of the Indian legends OF centuries ago, the
wonder-tales of the Spaniards in the New World
the man with the cigar box explained, had come
these strange bits Of gold and precious stones
Modern enterprise Is discovering the lost treas
of a South American superstition. The sa-
cred lake OF Ell Dorado the water OF Guatavita
into which Andean tribes threw their riches to
appease their gods, has been drained; here are
some of it's treasures.
Hartley Knowles the man with the cigar box.
is an English engineer who has made the exca
vations and has now brought some OF the things
60 America He says himself that they all
exceedingly valuable antiques, and, intrinsic
ally, gold and gems. One of the Americans
to whom Mr.. Knowles has showed his treasures
adds that the excavation of the sacred lake OF
the Andes brings with it possibility that the
excavator has apparently not thought Of in dis
coveries to the lives of prehistoric peoples
and in civilization of prehistoric times.
The story that lured a modern Englishman to
South America, and is interesting American col
fectors in South American discoveries, is the
same story that four and half centuries ago
called the Spanish adventures to conquest in
the unknown western world 1t is the story OF
Eel Dorado. 1t is tale that most of us have
heard long ago, and long ago forgotten. 1t is
the legend of the holy lake.
Upon the original story of the sacred lakes OF
the Chbcha tribes in the northern part Of South
America nnumerable myths have been built The
tsearly tales themselves well-nigh shrouded in
mystery and somewhat obscured by legend Yet
the story of Eel Dorado has its historical founda-
ton and the tale of the sacred lake Of Guata-
vita or Guaabita, is accredited by. historians to-
day. Much of the wondertale Of Eel Dorado as
the Spanards and their followers built 1t on
the first substructure is probably untrue. But
the story Of the lake, far as historians have
been able to ascertain, is a bit OF real history
the tale of people and their sacrifices. the rec
ord Of wealth thrown away In religious cere-
monial as offering to the gods, the true story
OF an ancient superstition
According to the legends told by travellers and
the facts set down by historians, the Andean
tribes Of the Chibcha venerated the mountain
lakes OF their province. and into them threw
their jewels. Great feasts and great Hastings, the
accessons of rulers the celebration of pilgrim
age the prayer for the tribes good fortune
these were all accompanied by gifts of the gods;
the gifts were thrown into the lake or these
mountain lakes Guatavita was the largest and
most important; here most of the feasts were
held the offerings made to the gods And here
,excavators and engineers have gone from Eng
land with the latest dredges and engines and set
up modern apparatus to drain the lake.
The lake is drained now as nearly dry as the
excayators dare to make It, Quantities OF pot
terry gold and precious stones have been taken
out The excavations still going and ii
Is believed that the discoveries have only begun.
Various attempts have been made, In the last
four centuries to find the treasure OF Chibcha
;piety this latest effort Is proving successful
81 should say that the gold and gems already
taken from the lake bottom amount to about
$4,000" said Mr.. Knowles How much there
is left I shouldn't dare to say. But think that
we are just reaching the most interesting part
of our work and discovery.
81 think that most of what have taken out
up TO date is from the sides OF the lake We
have not yet dug down to the bottom. and
don't know Just how much moro We have to dig