Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-28
HUMAN RACE ENT|CED
BY THE LURE OF GOLD
Story Which Follows Legend Re
lated to the Earliest Set
tiers of Coro.

The lure of gold has ever been the
basis for brave exploits and bold ad-
venture. and often about it has been
woven the enticing web of mystery
and myth to add to the zest of it's pur-
suit The ancient Argonauts sailed in
search of the mythical Golden Fleece,
while the golden apples of the mysteri-
Gus Hesperides lured on the giant Her
cules. The bold Phoenicians sailed to
the shores of Spain to gather a golden
harvest for the merchants of Syria. and
the old Semitic navigators sailed out
from the Red sea to seek it at Tarshish
and in the famed mines of Ophir.
whose location is even now a mystery.
The Portuguese as early as the middle
of the fifteenth century brought gold
from the west coast of Africa, and it
was to find sea route to the gold and
spice laden shores of the far east that
Fasco da Cana sailed around the Cape
,of Good Hope and Columbus finally
embarked to venture into unknown
seas upon that memorable voyage of
1892. The discovery of the new world
but added a new stimulus to the un-
ceasing, restless search for wealth. and
in the marvellous tales of pearls and
jewels rare and glittering golden orna-
meptS decorating simple savages who
knew but little of their value and the
adventurous and credulous conquista-
dores saw a glorious land of promise.
Among the Early Legends.
Among the most enticine of these
tales was the one the Coquetios In
dams told the earliest settlers of the
colony of Coro. established by Juan de
Ampues in 1927 on the narrow isthmus
that connects the peninsula of Para
guiana with the mainland about the
lake of Maracaybo in Venezuela Ac
cording to their stories tribe of
fierce but wealthy Indians dwelt in the
mountains some distance to the south.
with whom gold was so abundant that
they powdered the whole body of their
chief with its dust And thus was
started the tale OF TEL Dorado" the
silded one, a tale which in its repeat
Ell telling grew into most wonderful
first instance on a fact. according to
the sketch of the life and work of the
late Adolph Bandelier, by Edward
Albes, in the June number of the
Monthly Bulletin of the Pan American
Union. Washington. D. c. Bandelier. it
seems. established the fact that "a
chieftain who was gilded for certain
ceremonial occasion once really existed
on the tableland of Bogota, in the
province of Cundinamarca, in the heart
On this high plain dweit the agricul-
tural village Indians known as the
Muysca. They wove cotton cloth, mined
emeralds and also salt. These products
We're exchanged for the gold of other
tribes, and by thrift and industry the
precious metal was accumulated to su-
perfiuity on the tableland of Bogota.
On the plateau were several lakes which
were regarded by the Muyscas as holy
places. Each of them was the supposed
nf fo1 ,i,,i$, s. ~
and emeralds were offered by throwing
them into the water. Among these the
Lake of Guatavita became famous Near
the lake lay the village of Guatavita,
whose inhabitants about the year 1890
constituted an independent tribe. A le-
gend was current among them that the
wife of one of their earlier chiefs had
thrown herself into the water to avoid
punishment. and had subsequently be-
come the goddess of the lake.
An Imposing Ceremonial.
When a new chief of Guatavita was
chosen an imposing ceremonial was OBJ
served. The male population marched
out in long procession to the lake. In
front walked wailing men. nude, their
bodies painted with red ochre, the sign
of mourning. Groups followed, richly
decorated with gold and emer-
oAuop thCh iCaOS duOEucu Win 1edCQerS,
and braves clothed in jaguar skins.
Some went uttering joyful shouts. others
blew on horns. pipes and conchs. There
were priests in long black robes adorned
with white crosses and tall black caps.
Behind them came the mobiles of the
tribe and chief priests. bearing the newly
elected chieftaip upon a barrow hung
with disks Of gold. His naked body was
anointed with resinous gums and COW
cred all over with gold dust. This was
the gilded man. Arrived at the shore,
the gilded chief and his companions
stepped upon a balsa 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 company, with shouts and
sound Of Instruments. threw in the gold
and Jewels brought as offerings.
The ceremony completed, the chief re-
turned to the shore and all went back
to the village to close the festival with
dancing and feasting. Thus was the oc-
casionai ceremonial of primitive tribe
of Indians the real basis of a legend
which passed from tongue to tongue until
1t lured men from far beyond the seas
with the vain hope Of conquest and Of
spoils.