Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-03-28
QUEST FOR THE eILDEo MAN
Spaniards Searched for King Supposed
to be Covered With Gold.


to be Covered With Gold.
Venezuela today Is known largely as
a hotbed of revolutions and as the
country over which the United. States
came near going to war with Great
Britain back in Grover Cleveland's ad-
ministration. It is inhabited by black
and tan persons Of undependable char
acter and excitable temper, and 1t Is
not much thought Of, among the ma
tions Of the world.
But there was time when Venezu-
ella was a veritable land of romance,
when staggering Spaniards strutted in
its seacoast town and galleons loaded
with gold put out from its harbors to
far-away CASTLE. And 1t was in those
brave, bloody and imaginative days
that the legend Of the Gilded Man
fiourished. A marvellous, brave tale 1t
was, and 1t served as a will-o-the-
wisp to lure many an adventurer to
his death.
After the first Spanish ships had
come to the coasts Of Mexico, Peru
and New Granada, there grew up ru-
NOR of great civilized nation deep in
the interior Of South America, which
was richer than any that had yet been
conquered. The Indians told their
Castilian conquerors that the gold they
had, came from far inland, and, press
ed for further details, drew on their
imaginations as well as on their men,
cries of old legends.
The ruler Of this elusive and un-
discovered kingdom was known as the
Gilded Man-El Dorado, the Spaniards
called him. And they believed in him
implicitly; a letter from a chronicler
named Oviedo to the Cardinal Bempo
describes him in detail:
"A great king, bruited In those lands,
covered with golden powder in such
fashion that from head to foot he was
like a figure Of gold, craven by the
hand Of rare artificer. The gold Is
stuck to his body by an aromatic res
In. But since this would irk him as
he slept, every night the king bathes
and every morning once more is he
gilded, which shows that the kingdom
of Ell Dorado Is marvelously rich In
mines"
The capital city of this imaginary
kingdom the Spaniards christened Ma
mao, and they said 1t was on the shore
of lake called Parime. And In this
city were palaces with columns of
massive gold and porticoes studded
with precious stones-these early ad-
venturers pictured regulation para
disc in Manoa, including the pearly
gates. In the streets Of Manoa, ac-
cording to the legends, walked soldiers
wearing golden armor and helmets OF
gold. Rumor was precise In every de-
tail except the whereabouts Of this IA
bled kingdom.
Some authorities said it was at the
foot Of the Andes, in the highlands OF
Peru. Others were just as positive
that the country lay along the upper
waters Of the Orinoco river, and many
expeditions were fitted out to ascend
this stream.
The first Of these was led by GER
tain Diego de Order, one Of the con-
querors Of Mexico, who bore upon his
coat Of arms and shield the burning
mountain Of Popocatapetl. With his
men he pushed far up toward the
lheadwaters Of the Orinoco. Indians
told him fantastic tales of "a mighty
king with one eye, and animals like
deer that are ridden as horses" In
one part Of his journey he saw natives
who anointed themselves with turtle