Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1912-08-08

but a few days previously passed through it
with a large force of foot and horse.
Won Hutton, 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,
fully convinced that they would eventually
find tho objectAof their quest. After untold
trials and danEers Qhesada at length reached
the Province oA( Papamene, at the headwa-
tiers of the Caqteta or Japura, and thence
made his way II Popayan, whence he was
glad to return Up Bogota a wiser but a
poorer man.
Won Huttenafta following him to Timana,
near the crest oa the eastern Cordillera, to
the southeast of lPopayan, faced about and
directed his coufe toward the river Qua
Ware, on the banH of which his Indian guide
had assured him was a great city called Ma
catoa, the capital Of a region rich in gold
and silver. AS a1 evidence Of the truth of
his story he showed the German leader sam
pies of gold fashiond in the form of apples or
n~isperos, which, BIZ said, had been brought
from that city. Bu' before he could reach his
eagerly coveted go,l the winter season came
on, ands 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 SUBJ
%sfstence the intrepid explorers soon began to
experince all the horrors of a famine. For a
while their chief susenance was a 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 naize 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 trubs, beetles, or other
things equally disgusting. In consequence of
this their hair, boards and eyebrows fell off.
Finally" writes OWED! y Banos, "all were
covered with pestiferoustumors and poisonous
ulcers, and that afflicted troop was converted
Z into a theater Of miseria3 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 a twelvemon4 before.
Their failure and hardAips did not, how
ever, cause them to abandon their enterprise.
Far from it. Their ardor WAS as uuenchIess
and their determination to thieve success was
as strong as when they tdk their departure
from Coro. The reported existence toward
the south OF a country abo,4ding in gold and
silver supplied them with a dew clue and gave
zest to the expedition. Aftefaa long and peril
GUS march, during which thGA[passed through
the country Of the Tapes md visited their
capital, Macatoa, the brave Md perseverine
expeditioners reached the landsdf the rich and
powerful Omaguas who INHABITED the terri
tory between the G~uaviare ami the Caqueta
that land which Wallace, as late as 1853. call
ed "the unknown regions between the Ri
Guaviare on one side and the gapura On the
other"
Here, from an elevated position, the adven
turers deserted what they fondly believed wal
the goal which they had SO long been striving
to reach. It was a city SO large that though
1t was near at hand it extended beyond the
range of vision. The streets were straight
with the houses close together, md in thu
midst Of all was an imposing edifce, which
their Indian guide informed them WIS the pal
ace OF Quarica. the lord of the Omaauas. TIL
structure also served as a temple in which
Won Hutten's guide stated, were idols Of maa