The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1912-12-21

mot only was the ceremonial of Guatavita par
ticularly elaborate but it gave rise to the stories
of Ell Dorado which so fired The imagination OF
the early conquerors and gava such an impetus
to the exploration of the interior. According 10
Fresle, the population Of the neighborhood re-
paired to the sacred lake of Guatavita clad In
their finest ornaments of gold and feathers In
Vulnerable sacrificial fires ware kindled on the
banks and the lake was encircled with cloud
of incense. The ruler-elect was Invested OF MS
garments anointed with an adhesive earth. and
powdered with gold dust. Attended by MS TOUT
principal sub-chiefs he embarked upon reed raft
ornamented with gold dust and furnished with
four braziers for incense; at his feet was piled
mound of gold and emeralds. and amid the shouts
of the multitude and the sound of whistles and
other instruments he proceeded to the middle OF
the lake There he plunged into the waters and
washed OF the offerings OF gold dust, ana the
gold and emeralds were thrown tn at the same
time the four chiefs making offerings on their
own account The raft theu returned and the
proceedings terminated with the revelry and
chicha drinking SO dear to the heart OF the Co
lombians."
The chief with his gold-dIst coat was in real
ity "El Dorado" the golden man OF Spanish
legend and Indian history.
Splendid as were the cere monies attending the
conservation of the tribal chief at Guatavita. or
Guatabita, as Professor JORGE calls It, the ma
p1Igr1mdRoS
important These pilgrim.ges were made Pc
riodically to all the chief lakes of the country.
The northern Chbcha honcred Guatavita almost
exclusively while the southern tribes paid their
religious homage at Ubaque. south of Bogota
While the chiefs and r.obles were throwing
their gold and jewels into the sacred waters. the
common people we're buryng theirs by the side
of the lake or In secret places not far removed
from the holy waters. Many curious bits OF pot
terry have been recovered from the neighborhood
of the lake of Guatavita.
When Mr. Knowles came to America short
time ago he brought with him many of the
treasures that he had taken from the sacred
lake. Most of the pieces are small Whatever
may be their value ancient pieces OF handi-
craft the emeralds are undoubtedly the richest
finds" in intrinsic worth.
NJ de la Kier Of the Royal Institute of Paris
is quoted as estimating the probable value of the
articles in the lake at several million English
pounds. But such estimates are of course
guesses The bottom of the lake has not yet
been reached, and is still in semiliquid muddy
state 1t is believed that the articles taken out
to date were thrown or buried in the sides of the
lake and have been, in the ages since, carried
toward the center by the pressure OF the mud
The number of pottery vessels found seems tc
substantiate this view.
The work done by Mr.. Knowles company
which is Incorporated in London under the name
of Contractors Limited'-is but the final linf
in a long chain of explorations that stretches
from the times of the Spaniards down to thu
present day
In 1862 Antonio de Sepulveda of Santa Fe d.
Bogota lowered the waters of the lake to ifteer
feet or thereabout and is said to have taken ou
great quantities of gold and an emerald of rars
beauty Cepulveda had made his attempt by dig
ging trench, and before the work could be fin
ished the sides of the trench caved in, and thu
~fc Dr~~{x
centuries that followed several attempts to drail
the lake. always by means of trenches cut from
above, we're made and failed.
In 1897 a small company of native engineer
was formed and three years later sold out 1t
rights to Hartley Knowles and his company.
Il had read about the legends of the golde
man." said Mr.. Knowles, who stands sponsor 70
the foregoing history of the attempts to drai
the lake. land. being an engineer. thought
should like to have try. / have been workin
at 1t for twelve years. The lake is drained a
dry as want It; II it is completely drained tn
mud at the bottom may solidify. and we do nc
want that. What we are after now is to dig dow
to what the bottom of the lake $50 years ag
The present bottom Is, OF course, sediment
years. The lake Is cupshaped. 1t is abol
10000 feet above sea level in the Colombia
Andes. 1t took four years to drain the lax
Now we are excavating
THE government of Colombia has been mo-
kind in letting make the excavations and tai
out the things. OF course the interest that a
taches to the treasure Is for aniquarians. m
seums and collectors