The Donaldsonville chief., 1912-08-24
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but few days previously passed through it
with large force Of foot and horse
Won Hutten, after serious deliberation. con-
cluded to follow closely in the rear of Que
sada in the hope of sharing with him the
treasures of Ell Dorado, should he succeed
in discovering his whereabouts. The march
Of both expeditions was through trackless
plains and woods across impetuous rivers
and deep morasses, in tropic heat and tor
rental rains that were more than enough to
depress the stoutest hearts. But these
dauntless soldiers of fortune pressed onward
& iuly convinced that they would eventually
find the object OF their quest After untold
trials and dangers Quesada at length reached
the Province Of Papamene, at the headWa-
ters of the Caqueta or Japura, and thence
made his way to Popayan whence he was
glad to return to Bogota a wiser but
poorer man.
Won Hutten after following him to TiInana,
near the crest Of the eastern Cordi1lera to
the southeast of Popayan, faced about and
directed his course toward the river Qua
Ware, on the banks of which his Indian guide
had assured him was great city called Ma
catoa the capital of a region rich in gold
and silver AS an evidence of the truth of
his story he showed the German leader sam
pies Of gold fashioned in the form of apples or
nisperos, which, he said, had been brought
from that CITY, But before he could reach his
eagerly coveted goal the winter season came
on, and the entire country was inundated.
There was then nothing left for them to do
but seek higher ground and await the return
of the dry season But as the district in which
they took refuge was sparsely populated and
almost entirely destitute Of the means OF sub
sistence the intrepid explorers soon began to
experince all the horrors of a famine. For a
while their chief sustenance was mixture of
maize and ants. The ants were secured by
placing some maize near the opening of an ant
hill and when it was covered with these in
sects they consumed maize and insects togeth-
er and thus appeased their hunger But as
there was not enough Of this aliment for all,
many were fain to appease the cravings Of
hunger by consuming grubs, beetles, or other
things equally disgusting In consequence of
this their hair, boards and eyebrows fell off.
Finally" writes Oviedo Y Banos call were
covered with pestferous tumors and poisonous
ulcers, and that afflicted troop was converted
into theater of nliseries and an hospital OF
misfortunes.' When the inundation had sub
sided sufficiently to permit them to travel they
resumed their march, and after long wander
ing about in the wilderness they found them
selves again at Nuestra Sonora whence they
had departed twelvemonth before.
Their failure and hardships did not how
ever, cause them to abandon their enterprise.
Far from It. Inelr ardOr was as quencnleSS
and their determination to achieve success was
as strong when they took their departure
from Coro. The reported existence toward
the south of country abounding in gold and
silver supplied them with new clue and gave
zest to the expedition. After a long and peril
GUS march, during which they passed through
the country of the Uapes and visited their
capital, Macatoa the brave and persevering
expeditioners reached the land of the rich and
powerful Omaguas who inhabited the terri
tory between the Guaviare and the Cadueta,
that land which Wallace, as late as 1853, cali
ed "the unknown regions between the Rho
Guaviare on one side and the Japura on the
other"
Here, from an elevated position, the adver,-
turers deserted what they fond1y believed was
the goal which they had SO long been striving
to reach It was a city so large that though
it was near at hand it extended beyond the
range of vision. The streets were straight
with the houses close together, and IN the
midst Of all was imposing edifice, which
their Indian guide informed them was the pal
ace of Quarica, the lord of the Omaguas The
structure also served as temple IN which,
Won Hutten's guide stated were idols OF mas