Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1912-12-06


NA
mot only was the ceremonial Of Guatavita par
tcularly elaborate but it gave rise to the stories
of Ell Dorado which so fired the imagination OF
the early conquerors and gave such an impetus
to the exploration of the interior. According to
Fresle, the population of the neighborhood re-
paired to the sacred lake of Guatavta clad in
their finest ornaments of gold and feathers. W.
Vulnerable sacrifcial fires were kindled on the
banks, and the lake was encrcled with clouf
of incense The ruler-elect was Invested OF his
garments anointed with an adhesive earth, and
powdered with gold dust Attended by his four
principal subchiefs 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 off the offerings of gold dust, and the
gold and emeralds thrown in at the same
time the four chiefs making offerings on their
account. The raft then returned and the
proceedings terminated with tie revelry and
chicha drinking so dear to the heart of the Co
lonbians.'
The chief with his golddust coat was in real
ity "El Dorado" the golden man of Spanish
legend and Indian history.
Splendid as were the ceremonies attending the
conservation of the tribal chief at Guatavita, or
Guatabita, as Professor Joyce calls it, the ma
tional pilgrimages and feasts were still more
important. These pilgrimages made pc
riodically to all the chief lakes of the country
The northern Chibcha honored Guatavita almost
exclusively, while the southern tribes paid their
religious homage at Ubaque. south of Bogota.
While the chiefs and mobiles were throwing
their gold and jewels into the sacred waters. the
common people we're burying 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 Guatavta.
When Mr.. Knowles came to America a 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 handf
craft, the emeralds undoubtedly the richest
finds" in intrinsic worth.
M de la Kier of the Royal Institute of Paris
is quoted 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 semliquid 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 to
substantiate this view.
The work done by Mr. Knowles company
which is incorporated in London under the name
In long chain Of explorations that stretches
from the times Of the Spaniards down to the
present day
In 1852 Antonio de Sepulveda of Santa Fe de
Bogota lowered the waters of the lake to fifteen
feet, or thereabout, and is said to have taken ont
great quantities of gold and an emerald of rare
beauty Sepulyeda had made his attempt by dig.
ging trench and before the work could be fin
ished the sides of the trench caved in and the
waters began to rise again. During the three
centuries that followed several attempts to drain
above, were made and failed.
In 1897 small company of native engineers
was formed and three years later sold out its
rights to Hartley Knowles and his company
i had read about the legends Of the golden
man." said Mr.. Knowles, who stands sponsor for
the foregoing history Of the attempts to drain
the lake. and. being an engineer. thought Z
should like to have try. have been working
at 1t for twelve years. The lake is drained az
dry as want 1t: if it is completely drained the
mud at the bottom may solidify and we do not
want that. What we are after now is to dig down
to what was the bottom OF the lake $50 years ago
The present bottom Is, OF course. sediment Of
years The lake is cup-shaped. II Is about
10000 feet above sea level in the Colombian
Andes It took four years to drain the lake
Now are excavating
The government OF Colombia has been rnoak
kind In letting us make the excavations and taxa
out the things OF course the interest that a.
taches to the treasure is for aniQuarfans .az.
seums and collectors