Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1912-06-12

one another is not surprising when we remember
that the Indians Of Daren and Costa Rca long
before Francisco Pizarro's advent in Peru, we're
aware Of the wealth and the power of the lncasN
in the remote south. And that there should have
been different accounts regarding the character
and place of abode of this marvellous savage Is
what might have been expected by one VINO
knows how prone Indians are to exaggerate or
to modify what they have heard, as to suit
their own fancy, The same may In measure
be said Of the Spaniards also, After the successes
achieved by their countrymen in Mexico and
Peru, and after the millions Of treasure which
had been found in the lands Of the Aztecs, Chib-
chas and Incas, they were prepared for anything.
Nothing seemed impossible, and no tale about
gilded men golden palaces was so extravaganza
as to be rejected false. They were ready to
give full credence to even greater fctions than
the Golden Fleece or the Apples Of the Hesper-
ides, and would not have been surprised to find
Ophir or Tarshish in the valleys of the Orinoco
or the Amazon. The spirit Of adventure and ro-
nance dominated everyone not only in the Indies
but in the mother country as well. For all this
Spanish nation" writes an old chronicler, lis
so DESTROYS of novelties that what way soever
they bee called with becke only, soft whis
pering voyce, to anything arising above water,
they speedily prepare themselves to file and for
sake certainties, under hope Of an higher degree,
to follow Uncertainties which we may gather by
that which is past"
1t was a vague and fantastic rumor like this
that lured Belalcazar from Quito to the Sabana
of distant Bogota, where he met Quesada and
Federmann. According to the Indian from whom
the Spanish chieftain received his information,
the province of Ell Dorado was called Cundiru-
marca, and was not more than twelve days dis.
tant from Quito. This distance, IL the Indians
statement was true would preclude the plain OF
Bogota as the home of the Gilded Man, for II
was impossible to reach this place in such lin
tied time Besides, Cundirumarca Is a Quichua
word, 1pld not, 1t is asserted, have been
the naB province in New Granada, where
the lang | T., BE Incas was unknown. Despite,
theref& | a. tive statement Of Pedrahita
that the motiveNof Belalcazars expedition to the
north was the discovery of Ell Dorado and the
House of the Sun, 1t may be that the real reason
was the desire on the part of Pzarro's lieutenant
to cut loose from his chief and find a country
Of which he himself might become the adeIan
tado. Subsequent events and the RELAXATION of his
desire to be appointed governor of Popayan give
color to this surmise.
Whether, however, Bealcazar misunderstood
his informant regarding the location of the prov
ince Of Cundirumarca, or whether he was merely
looking for a pretext for escaping from Peru
where he was oVershadowed by Pizarro It is Ger.
tain that the next expedition in search of Ell
Dorado, by some considered the first genuine ex-
petition in quest Of the Gilded King, was headed
for the eastern slopes OF the Andes instead of
for the northern plateau Of New Granada The
country of the Gilded King It was now Thought
was in the vicinity Of the Land Of Cinnamon
and preparations were forthwith made TO add
these rich lands to the possessions of the Span
ish crown