Arizona republican., 1914-08-07
ORIGIN OF THE TALE OF EEL DORADO"

Many stories of the abundance of gold were cur rent about the time of the discovery of America Among the most enticing of these tales the the Coquetos Indians told the earliest settlers of the colony Coro established by Juan de Ampues in 1527 on the narrow isthmus that connects the ninSula of Paraguana with the mainland about the Lake of Maracaybo in Venezuela According their stories tribe of fierce but wealthy Indians dwelt in the mountains distance the south with whom gold abundant that they powdered the whole body of their chief with its dust And thus started tale of Fl Dorado, the gilded one, tale which in its repeated telling grew into most derful fiction, but which founded in its first instance fact, according to the sketch of the life and work of the late Adoph Bandeier by Ed ward Albes in the June number of the Monthly Bull letin of the Pan- American Union, Washington, D. c. Bandelier seems, established the fact that "a chief tain who gilded for certain ceremonial occa- sion once really existed on the ableland of Bogota. in the province of Cundnamarca in the heart of New Granada
 On this high plain dwelt the agricultural village Indians known the Muysca They wove cotton cloth mined emeralds and also salt. These products exchanged for the gold of other tribes, and by thrift and industry the precious metal was accumu- lated to superfluity the ableland of Bogota. on the plateau several lakes, which regarded by the Muyscas holy places Each of them the supposed seat of special divinity, to which gold and emerads offered by throwing them into the water Among these the lake of Guatavita became famous. Near the lake lay the village of Guatavta, whose inhabitants about the year 1899 constituted an independent tribe legend was current among them that the wife of of the earliest chiefs had thrown herself into the water 70 avoid punishment and had subsequently, become the goddess of the lake. When a chief of Guatavitd was chosen, imposing ceremonial performed. The male population marched in a long procession to the lake In front walked wailng men, nude their bodies painted with red ochre, the sign of mourning. Groups followed. richly decorated with gold and emeralds their heads adorned with feathers and braves clothed jaguar skins. Some utterng joyful shouts others blew horns, pipes and conchs. There were priests in long black robes adorned with white and tall black caps. Behind them came the nobles the tribe, and chief priests, bearing the newly elected chiefain upon a barrow hung with disks of gold His naked body was annonted with resinous gums and covered all with gold dust This the gilded Arrived at the shore the gilded chief and his companions stepped upon basa and proceeded upon it to the middle of the lake. There the chief plunged into the water and washed off his metallic covering while the assembled com pany with shouts and sound of instruments, threw in the gold and jewels brought offerings. The mony completed the chief returned to the shore and ali went back the village to close the festival with dancing and feasting Thus was the occasional ceremonial of a primitive tribe of Indians the real basis a legend which passed from tongue to tongue until lured from far beyond the with the vain hope of conquest and of spoils.-Buletin Pan-Amercan Union.