The Cordova daily times., 1920-04-29


 k by Theodore De Booy of the
 American Geographical society and the Museum of the University of Pennsylvania have brought to the Knowledge of ethnOlogists a race of dwarf Indians that live in an eternal fog, far more impenetrable than that of London, and whose members get drunk regularly once 8 month. MT. De Booy also has located a treasure cave that will be of equal interest to the archaeologist and to the seeker of gold, deep in a wilderness that not even the Indians will penetrate.
 In full sight of the mountain at the base of which the cave is located the explorer was forced to turn back be- cause his Indian guides and carriers refused to continue the Journey. One of their reasons was a lack of food, but the principal objection apparently was superStitious fear of the spirits of warriors buried in the cave after great battle told about in their tra- ditions. The mountain is near the border of Venezuela and Colombia.
 Tt is quite probable, almost certain, in fact" says MT. De Booy in the mu- scum Journal, "that this burial cave contains archaeological treasures of the highest value. Our archaeological researches proved without a doubt the entire region had at one time been Inhabited by the Arhuacos, a tribe of which a small remnant still lives in the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta. The MOtilones, which includes the Macoas, were evidently comparative newcomers to the region and had either driven out the ArhuacOs or had killed them off, probably only short while before the Conquest. Research eS by other archaeologists have proven that similar occurrence took place in the Goajira peninsula directly to the northward, and that the Goa iiras superseded the ArhuacOs in this latter region.
 Treasures of Gold Workers. 1.-The burial cave, therefore, wrOb- ably contains Arhuacan specimens, and as the Arhuacans were excellent workers in gold and had quantities of gold ornaments it will be seen that the chances of this cave containing gold ornaments as we'll as burial Ob- jects of other kinds are very good. of the peak in which the cave was to be found, the Indians had shown me certain regions where evidence could still be seen of former clear ings. These clearings were of consid- erable age and were only distinguish ed from the surrounding woods by the fact that the trees were not quite as large and the undergrowth of lesser density"
 MT. De Booy landed at Maracaibo and spent two days on horseback crossing the plain to La HorQueta one of the last OutpOsts of civilization in Venezuela. He had to pass part of this time over a narrow and gloomy trail through a wilderness abounding with tigers, jaguars, wildcats, mon keys and deer. Beyond this forest is 8 great plain and back of that the mountains with their heads lost in the fog. "WhiIe the altitude of these mountains is not sufficiently high to make them snow covered" says the explorer, "the fog and mists at times would almost make one think that the summitS were covered with snow"
 In the days of the Conquistadores La Villa, a little town along the route to La Horqueta, was the starting point for raiding expeditions into the h. dian territory to the south of the Rio Negro. The town is filled with ruined foundations of houses and a quaint old church still stands. It is said to be the oldest in that part of the country.
 Nine hours travel through the jungle from La HorQueta De Rooy came to the settlement of Machiques, outside of which be found members of the Tucucus Indians. who come down to the mountains to work occa- sionally in exchange for hoop iron.