Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1912-06-12
his victorious campaign against the generals Of
Atahualpa, and here it was, according to Castel.
lanos, where

lanos, where
An allen Indian haillng from afar,
Who in the town of quito did abide.
And neighbor TO be of Bogota
Did with him speak and soemny announce
A country rich in emerads and gold.
Also among the things which them engaged
A certain king he told of who, dlsrobed,
Upon lake wont, aboard raft,
To make oblatons, himself had seen,
His regal form oerspread with fragrant oil
On which laid a coat Of powdered gold
From sole of foot unto his highest brow,
Respendent as the beamng of the sun
Arrivals without end he further said
Were there to make rich votive offerings;
OF golden trinlIets and Of emeralds rare
And divers other of their ornaments;
And worthy credence these things he affirmed;
The soldiers light of heart and well content
Then dubbed him FL Dorado, and the name
BY countless ways was spread throughout the world
According to the chronicler, Juan Rodriguez
Fresle, who was a son Of one of the conquista-
dores of New Granada the lake on which were
made these offerings of gold and emeralds was
Guatavta, short distance to the northeast of
Bogota. And the source Of his information re-
specting the nature Of the ceremonies connected
with these offerings was, he assures US, no less
than one Don Juan, the cacique Of Guatavita,
who was the nephew Of the chief who bore sway
at the time of the arrival of the Spaniards under
Jiminez de Quesada and who even then pre-
pairing himself by six years fast to succeed
his uncle as cacique of Guatavita. After this
long fast which was made under the most trying
conditions the successor to the cacqueship was
obliged to go to the lake of Guatavita and offer
sacrifice to the devil who, Frese informs US,
was regarded by the aborigines as their god and
master After being stripped, he was anointed
with a viscous earth, which was then overspread
with powdered gold in such wise that the chief
was covered with this metal from head to foot.
He was then placed a balso provided with a
great quantity of gold and emeralds, which he
was to offer to his god Arriving at the middle
of the lake, which was surrounded by a vast null.
titude of men and women, shouting and playing
on musical instruments Of various kinds he made
his offering by throwing into the lake all the
treasure which he had at his feet After this
ceremony was over he returned to the shore,
where amid acclimaton, music and rejoicing, he
was received as their legitimate lord and prince.
From this ceremony, our author continues,
was derived that name, celebrated, Of Ell
Dorado which has cost many lives and SO
much treasure. 1t was in Peru that this name
Dorado was first heard. Sebastian Belalcazar,
having met near Quito Indian from Bogota,
VINO told him about the Gilded Man just de-
scribed exclaimed Let us go in search of that
gilded Indian" Hence the report Of FL Dorado
was spread throughout CASTLE and the Indies,
and Belacazar was moved to go in quest of him
as he did, and hence also the cause Of that cee-
brated meeting with Quesada and Federmann,
which constitutes one Of the most thrilling and
dramatic chapters in the history of the conquest
of New Granada.
The fact that only few years after the arrival
of Bealcazar at Bogota the Spaniards began to
make efforts to secure the gold and precious
stones which, according to tradition, were cast
into the sacred like Of Guatayita by the Gilded
King, is evidence that the statements OF Fresle
and other contemporary writer's regarding the
connection between this lake and Ell Dorado are
substantially true. For more than three cen
turtles attempts were made to drain the lake, with
view Of securing the priceless treasures which
were supposed to be spread over its bottom, but
the success which attended the efforts of those
who had the matter in charge was only partial
There were never sufficient funds available to
complete the work Of drainage until few years
ago. when the attempt was again made by some
Englishmen, who still engaged in the under