El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-06-06

Of buried boards all along the Andes
from Panama to Lake Titicaca They
mad vast quantities of gold and silver
IN Quito, and at CerrO de Pasco 1
found a party Of Americans and Brit
Ism who were prospecting for one OF
these boards They have already
spent thousands OF dollars. and are
SINKING more every day While I was
before the vault Of the Cuzco cathedral
was shown golden box Weighing
So pounds, made OF the plates that
were torn from the Inca temple Of the
sun, and was told that that cathedral
was largely built by Inca gold.
I understand that the treasures Of
gold that were stored on the holy
Islands Of the sun and the Noon were
thrown into Lake Titicaca. and I hear
other traditions Of the vast amounts
OF gold and silver the Spaniards failed
10 get That which they obtained
was greater than the wealth Of Croe-
sus- The amount taken from the tenn
pies Of CuZcO alone is said to have
been worth more than $4,000. 1000, and
a part Of this went to Cajamarca to
Iree the Inca emperor Atahualpa when
ne was treacherously imprisoned by
FlzdrrO- Inc Inca emperor had come
in friendship. He was carried to Ca
Jamarca in litter Of massive gold
covered with a cloth embroidered with
the plumes Of tropical birds. This
cloth was studded with gold and silver
plates. Atahualpa's hair was decorated
with gold. He had on a golden crown.
emeralds.
At the start Pizarro treated Atahual-
pa well, but a little later on charged
him with treachery, and put him in a
prison about Il feet square. The Inca
king took a stone and scratched a
mark on the wall as high up as he
could reach, telling PiZarro that he
would fill the room to that height wi
gold If he could only be free. This
proposition was accepted, and gold IN
the shape Of vases. utensils and plates
was brought in from all parts Of the
empire Ii was melted down by the
indians under the direction Of the
Spaniards. When the prison room was
filled to above the mark made by
Atahualpa, he was released But he
was till kept under surveillance. and a
little later was accused of plotting
against the Spaniards- He was given
be burned, his execution being brought
about largely by friar Nalyerde. who
was afterward made bishop Of CuzCO.
Temple of the sun.
During my stay in Cuzco visited
the Temple Of the sun, upon whose
foundations now stand the church ana
convent of the Dominicaus This was
known by the Incas as THE Corican-
cha" or the place of gold" Ii was
rectangular on three sides with
great oval at the DdEk and Its walls
We're two stories high and altogether
about 1900 feet long. These walls
were surrounded by a thick cornfce
or border Of gold about eight inches
wide, and where the wall Joined the
roof there was a broad golden band
The roof was covered with gold and
the inner walls Of the temple were
literally plated with IL, vegetables and
vines OF al sorts being engraved upon
them.
Opposite the entrance TO the temple
was a mighty plate of solid gold. heav-
lily incrusted with emeralds and pre-
ciOus stones This represented a hu-
man face surrounded with rays. II
was the image Of the sun whom the
Incas worshipped, and used gold in do
ing So They considered that metal SD
cred to the sun. and often referred
to il as the tears of that heavenly
body. On both sides of the image
were the embalmed bodies Of the Incas
OF the past, each seated on chair Of
solid gold.
In addition TO the Temple of the sur