The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-11-15
LOST GOLD OF THE INCA
SAR0UDED IN MYSTERY
ROMANCE OF THE SPANISH CON-
QUEST STILL ATTRACTS
ADVENTUROUS SPIRITS.

London by the Royal Geographical So
ciety, is limited Not everybody is in
terested in Ecuador, "the Switzerland
OF the Americas" Americans and Eu-
ropeans who visit that country are
few. But everybody is interested in
lost treasure of which 1t can be said
that 1t may still be recoverable. And
considerable number of persons
have heard or read of Inca gold, says
the New York Sun.
For those, then. who care for treas
ure hunts there is an engrossing pas
sage in Jordan H. Stablers account of
his travels In Ecuador published in
the October number of the Geograph-
ical Journal
The Inca gold that Mr.. Stabler mem
tons was specifically the gold which
was gathered to ransom Altahualpa,
Inca of Peru, held a prisoner by the
Spaniards under Pizzaro Readers of
Prescott will remember that in the
year 1882, after quarrelling with his
brother, Huascar, Altahualpa defeated
him in battle just a few months be-
fore the arrival of the Spaniards. Piz-
faro and his men obtained possession
of the person of Atahualpa by strata
gem and the Inca offered to fill the
room in which he was jailed with gold
as high as he could reach in payment
for his freedom.
I'D fn1I
pouring in. The room was heaped
high and Atahualpa demanded to be
released But the Spaniards tried him
and put him to death
The room filled with gold was in
Quito. At the news of the execution
of Atahualpa, Inca runners carried the
roomful of treasure swiftly into the
eastern Andes A river flowing
damned and the gold was sunk in the
artificial lake thus created.
Now, a Spaniard named NaNerde
married years afterWard an Indian wo-
man, some say a princess who gave
him the secret of this treasure, Val
verde made many visits to the lake
and then returned to Spain wealthy
man, On dying he bequeathed the Sc
cret of the lakes whereabouts to the
King of Spain. The secret was in the
form of Instructions which are called
the "Derrotero" (chart or plan) of
Valverde.
The "Derrotero" was sent by the
king to officials in the town of I4ata-
cunga, with orders to make a search.
1t was in vain So We're many sub
sequent endeavors to find the lake.
Last Attempt by American.
The latest effort seems to be that
of an American, a Major Brooks, who
procured a copy of the "Derrotero" at
Latacunga and constructed map
from it. Mr.. Stabler says that Brooks
made two attempts to find the artifi-
eial lake, starting from the town OF
Ambatto. The first journey was a
failure, because the Indian carriers
deserted in the heart of the noun
tains and Brooks managed only with
great difficulty and the aid of a per-
sonal servant to return to Ambatto
safely. The second attempt met with
a curious mischance and one that will
give the supersttious a thrill,
Brooks was able to find his way to
certain points in the Llanganati
mountain range marked in the guide,
and he reached lake. But as he
halted by its shore the waters rose
suddenly and flooded his camp ruin
ing or washing away most of his pro-
visions. The search had to be given
up again.
Did Mr.. Brooks reach the right lake?
He told Mr.. Stabler that he didn't
know because like all the other treas
ure hunters depending upon the Der |
rotero' he had been mystifed by that
part of the directions which reads in
Spruce's translations:
Puzzling Directions.
GO forward and look for the signs |
of another sleeping place, which | as
sure thee thou canst not fail to see in |
the fragments of pottery and other |
marks, because the Indians are con-
tinually passing along there Go on
thy way, and thou shalt see a noun |
tain which is all of margasitas (py- |
rites). the which leave on thy left |
hand, and | warn thee that thou must |
go round it in this fashion. Ola /
gram On this side thou wilt find a
pajonal (pasture) in a small plain,
which having crossed thou wilt come
on canyon between two hills, which
is the Way of the Inca
The trouble is just this: Valverde's
diagram of going round the mountain Il
shows clockwise direction of mo- h
ion. This is inconsistent with what /!
goes before, and Mr.. Stabler says that
he question of turning to the left or
he right of the mountain seems still d
o be unanswered. How circle ii {
,lockwise and still leave it on thy /
eft hand?
All the elements of a splendid story I
re here assembled for the pen OF Sir 7
Rider Haggard We think nothing /
$ missing that he needs to work with, G
lot even She, in this case the Indian I
'rincess who became the Sonora VAL c
edere I
"A