The Elbert County tribune., 1912-12-06

'El Dorado" he said softly, ''El Dorado. after
centuries. The gifts of the golden The
treasure of the sacred lake."
Out of the Indian legends OF centuries ago the
wondertales 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
ure of South American superstition. The
cred lake Of Ell Dorado. the water of Guatavita
into which Andean tribes threw their riches to
appease their GODS has been drained here
some of its treasures.
Hartley Knowles, the with the cigar box
Is English engineer who has made the exca
vations and has brought some of the things
to America He says himself that they all
exceedingly valuable as 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 modern Englshman to
South America, and is interesting American col
lectors In South American discoveries, is the
story that four and a half centuries ago
called the Spanish adventurera to conquest In
the unknown western world. 1t is the story Of
Ell Dorado. 1t is tale that most of 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 Chibcha tribes in the northern part of South
America innumerable myths have been built. The
early tales themselves wellnigh shrouded In
mystery and somewhat obscured by legend. Yet
the story of Ell Dorado has its historical founda
tion and the tale of the sacred lake of Guata-
vita Guatabita. is accredited by historians to
day. Much of the wonder-tale of Ell Dorado as
the Spaniards and their followers built 1t
the first substructure is probably untrue. But
the story of the lake far historians have
been able to ascertain Is bit of real history
the tale of people and their sacrifices, the
ord of wealth thrown away in a religious cere-
monial as an 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 Chbcha 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 a 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. OF these
mountain lakes Guatavita was the largest and
most important here most of the feasts
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 nearly dry the
excavators dare to make It, Quantities of pot
terry gold and precious stones have been taken
out. The excavations are still going on, 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.
II should say that the gold and gems already
taken from the lake bottom amount to about
$40 000," said Mr. Knowles. How much there
is left shouldn't dare to say. But think that
we are Just reaching the most Interesting part
Of our work and our discovery.
"I think that most of what have taken out
up to date is from the sides Of the Like We
have not yet dug down to the bottom. and we
don't know lust how much more we have to dig