Mexico weekly ledger., 1912-12-12

III HIS MANU-.
"El Dorado he said softly, ~El Dorado, after
centuries. The gifts Of the golden man. 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 a South American superstition. The sa-
cred lake of Ell Dorado, the water Of Guatavita
into which Andean tribes threw their riches to
appease their gods, has been drained; here are
some Of ito treasures.
Hartley Knowles. the man with the cigar box,
is an English engineer who has made the exca-
fvations and has now brought some OF the things
to America, He says himself that they are all
exceedingly valuable as antiques. and, intrinsic
ally, as soid ami 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 a possibility that the
excavator has apparently not thought Of in dis
coveries as to the lives Of prehistoric peoples
and in civilization OF prehistoric times.
The story that lured a modern Englishman to
South America, and Is interesting American col
lectors in South Aparican disce" the
same story that four aid a b -~dgo
called the Spanish adventurei conquest in
the unknown western world, 1t is the story Of
Ell Dorado. 1t is a tale that most of us 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 are well-nigh shrouded In
mystel, I'D somewhat obscured by legend, Yet
the story Of Ell Dorado has its historical founda-
ton, and the tale of the sacred lake OF Guata-
vita, or Guatabita, is accredited by historians to-
day. Much of the wonderful of Ell Dorado as
the Spaniards and their followers built 1t on
the first substructure is probably untrue. But
~ 49, - Az alAM - ~ n Is 14Ck@wfara hnuA
been able to ascertain, is a bit of real history
the tale Of a people and their sacrifices, the rec
ord Of wealth thrown away In a religious cere-
moniaI 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 Chibcha venerated the mountain
lakes of their province, and into them threw
their jewels. Great feasts and great Hastings, the
aecessions 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 were
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 now as nearly dry as the
excavators dare to make 1t. Quantities of pot
terry, gold and precious stones nave Deen taken
out. The excavations are sul going on, and it
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,
Il should say that the gold and gems already
taken from the lake bottom amount to about
$4,000" said .Mr. Knowles. How much there
is left l shouldn't dare to say. But | think that
we are just reaching the most interesting part
nf o1r work and our discovery,
II think that most of what we have taken out
up to date is from the sides Of the lake, We
have not yet dug down to the bottom. and we
don't know Just how much more we have to dig