The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-17

ports of the conquistadores. MONTE
zUMA's present to CoRTEz when he
landed on Mexican soil was a "huge
gold plate, large as a carriage wheel,
representing images of the sun and
moon and engraved with figures
Of animals" HEREDIA found in a tenn
pie In Colombia a massive figure of
pure gold weighing 125 pounds. AT
Cuzco, Peru, the cornices and inner
walls of the temple, which occupied
one side of great court, We're plated
with gold. On one end was a great
plate of gold, representing the sun,
that extended from one wall to the
other; beneath this sacred symbol, on
golden thrones, sat the desiccated re-
mains of the Inca rulers, dressed
In their royal robes of golden cloth.
Some of these articles were sent to
Spain, but none of them perhaps re-
mains intact to-day. The existing
/ specimens of the age are mostly
smaller pieces, but they show the skill
of the ancient gold workers. In the
recently acquired collections In the
Pennsylvania University Museum are
breastplates of beaten gold twenty
two inches across, rare golden i'm
age nine inches in height, crown
of beaten gold six inches high, with
rich design in repousse work and sur
mounted with a bird with outspread
wings
But what became of this immense
treasure Of gold? Much was carried
to Spain by the explorers and por-
ton was turned over to the Spanish
Crown. CoRTEz sent millions in gold
| from Mexico and PIzARRo set apart
a fifth of the gold he found In Peru
as the Crowns share But there was
a vast amount that entirely disap-
peared. In their greed CoRTEz's SOL
diers attempted to carry away so
much of their loot that many fell easy
victims to the Aztec soldiers. The
cupidity of PIzARRo's men was so
aroused by the sight Of the offerings
made for the inca Kings ransom that
they demanded division before the
room was filed. When the news of
the Kings murder reached the pack
trains bearing additional gold the men
turned aside and hid their treasure,
and Indians bearing the great gold
chain that encircled the plaza at
Cuzco threw it into a lake. "The
search for their buried treasure has
continued to the present and will con-
tinue for generations to come" writes
DR.. FARABEE.
When QUEsADA reached the rich and
prosperous country Of the Chibchas he
found that much of the treasure had
been hidden and he secured only some
100000 worth of gold, silver and en-
eralds. He finally heard of the Chib-
chas' sacred temple, and rushing there
his soldiers broke open the doors. The
place was guarded by one old priest.
The Spaniards' eyes fairly bulged at
the wealth OF gold that lay within
their reach. While they hesitated TO
enter flames broke out, and temple,
treasure and guardian were consumed.
History and tradition say that the
Chibcha treasure, estimated at two
tons of gold and precious stones, was
dropped into the sacred lake Of Qua
tavita, never to be recovered.
Commenting upon the results Of this
early quest for gold In America DR..
FARABEE says: 1.-THE possessors, to-
gether with their superior culture,
were Immediately destroyed, while the
dispossessors and their Government
were debauched and Immediately be-
gan to degenera OF its great
golden age America reaped little ben
eft. The golden treasure which Co
LUMBus opened up to the world was
soon dissipated and the art which the
people of an ancient civilization had
been centuries building up was en-
tirely swept away in a few years.
never to be restored.