Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 197, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 August 1912 — PIZARRO'S QUEST OF EL DORADO [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PIZARRO'S QUEST OF EL DORADO

nOWARJD the end of February, 1541, Gonzalo Plzzaro started In search of El Dorado at the head of what wag * ttfen considered a large and wellequipped force of men. He had under his command 500 Spaniards, 100 of whom were mounted, and 4,000 J Indians. —Ja, __ . I The enterprise was begun with careful preparation and with high hopes, but was doomed, so far as its immediate object was concerned, to have a disastrous termination, for scarcely had those taking part in it reached the fastnesses of - the Andes, but a few miles distant from Quito, 'when their difficulties began. The Intense cold and the piercing winds which they encountered In crossing the formidable barrier of the eastern Cordillera caused untold suffering and occasioned — the death of many of the Indians. Then, to add to their hardships, they experienced one of those frightful earthquakes which are so frequent in -this land of terrific volcanoes. This was succeeded by a torrential downpour, by thunder and lightning, which seemed to portend all the dire calamities that thereafter ensued. This deluge formtinnoH nnnhntfiil fnr wppkn ATld RO

fee* - soil that progress became almost impossible. Ar± < ' ' The adventurers were sur- 7 rounded by swollen streams, /?/ jJWnHfc dangerous morasses, and by |t*'' forests and thickets so t^PK.’T^vOSsjll dense that they had to hew a way through them by axes and machetes. Drenched with incessant rains that spoiled their food and equip- fMsjm jjfmn ment, rotted their gar- ff<T/*w “Mm \ ments, and, as the chronicier Molina expresses it, '*/w|j "baptized their very souls,” they were soon confronted ||p9Hk * with starvation. Their live stock, Including even their MBBHIBiB horses and dogs, had been consumed, and they were reduced to subsisting on such edible fruitß and herbs ZT cou,d and ln But pressed as they were by hunger and spent by toil so that they could scarcely move, these determined men of blood and iron still persisted ln their course. They found the land of cinnamon, but aB they had set out in quest of El Dorado they were loath, notwithstanding the countless difficulties which beset their path, to desist from their undertaking. In order to make better headway, Pizarro resolved to construct a brigantine. Under the circumstances this was a herculean task, for he had neither the materials nor the necessary workmen. This vessel, which was constructed under such adverse conditions, was remarkable not only as bing the first floated on these in--I'and waters by Europeans, but also as the one that was soon afterwards utilized ln making one of the most notable voyages recorded in the annals of discovery. For it was the San, Pedro —this was the brigantinerthat enabled Orellana, Plzzaro’s lieutenant, to discover the mighty Amazon, and that with the "Victoria, which was built after the San Pedro, carried the leader and his intrepid companions in safety to the island of Cubagua, north of the cohst of Venezuela. «. For courage and constancy ln the modst of untold hardships and dangers the expedition of Oonzalo Pizarro was truly remarkable. The intrepid adventurers composing it had to contend at every step with a gigantic and invincible enemy—rude and savage nature with all Its powerful elements of destruction. » During this expedition the Spaniards, says Gomara, “traveled 400 leagues, the entire distance through a pathless wilderness.” Of the 200 and more that started on it lobs than a hundred returned to Quito, and among them was not a single one of the 4,000 Indians who had accompanied them on their departure. And what was the net result of this expedition T Outside of the discovery of the Amazon by Orellana, which was incidental, it whs virtually nil. The adventurers found, it is true, the land of cinnamon, but the trees bearing the precious bark were so few and widely separated, and so far away from means of transportation, that they were practically valueless. Beyond certain vague rumbrs of a rich and powerful chief living somewhere between the Amazon and the Rio Negro they could secure no information regarding the gilded king and the province of gold that were the objects of their quest. And what seems passing strange !s that Padre Carbajal, the chronicler of Orellana’s expedition, makes no mention whatever »f El Dorado, although he must have known that it was this mysterious character that Oonealo Pizarro had chiefly in view when he left Quito for the land erf Canela. Aside, then, from their value to geographical science the expeditions of both Pizarro and Orellanas were ss barren of the results sought as was that of Belalcazar a few years before. But failure on the part of these three galjant leaders, sad the recital of the terrible sufferings and hardships which had been endured

by those who taken part in the first enterprises, did not discourage others or deter them from essaying to achieve success where their luckless predecessors had failed. The vague and conflicting reports about the rich • and powerful tribe of Indians east of the Andes and north of the Amazon called the Omaguas, were sufficient to determine the organization and equipment of new expeditions without delay, the aim of all of which was to discover the ever-alluring and elusive El Dorado. Even before Orellana had embarked for Spain to seek the governorship of the region he had discovered, another expedition in search of the "gilded man” was nearing its termination. This was under the command of Fernan Perez de Quesada, who, like so many ‘ others, had been captivated by the glowing accounts of El Dorado’s riches given him by the soldiers of Belalcazar and resolved forthwith to abandon the comforts and luxuries, which, as governor of New Granada, he enjoyed during the absence in Spain of his brother Gonzalo, and go in pursuit of a flitting phantom. This enterprise, consisting of more than 260 men, having 200 horses, was begun at Tunja, north of Bogota, in September, 1645; The adventurers, after crossing the eastern Cordillera and reaching what are now known as the llanos of Colombia, advanced toward the south, with the Sierras on their tight and the broad grassy plains of the lowlands on the left. Their hardships and sufferings in the wilderness from lack of food were appalling enough, hut they were still more intensified by the incessant rains and by the frequent attacks of savage Indians. But, notwithstanding all these difficulties, they eventually succeeded In reaching the headwaters of the Caqueta and in penetrating even the land of Canela, which had but a short time previously witnessed the homeward march of Gonzalo Plzzaro and his helpless band. Quesada's expedition, like Pizarro’s, lasted 16 months, during which he lost 80 men and all hi» horses. And like his ill-starred predecessor, he had nothing to show for his enormous expenditure of energy and courage but a depleted purse. And withal, El Dorado was still as far away from the eager, expectant Spaniards as ever. While Quesada was cutting his way through the Impenetrable Jungles of the mon tana, another expedition was organizing at Coro ln northwestern Venezuela under Philip von Hutten; a relative of the Welsers, the rich German bankers of Augsburg, who then held from the Emperor Charles V. a large concession of land in Tierra Firms and who were bent on securing a part of the vast treasures reported to be in the- territory ceded them by the Spanish monarch. Von Hutten had 130 men tinder his command when he left Coro In June, 1541. He went by sea to Burburata, thence to Valencia and Barqtdslmeto, whence Be started for the

llanos, following closely in the footsteps of Federmann until he reached a pueblo called by this gallant commander La Fragua and by Hohermuth Nuestra Senora, but which was subsequently 0 , ISg® fill] known as San Juan %. de los Llanos. Arrlved at this place, he 1 ll learned from the In- ' dians that Fernan Pe--JZZ7& rez de Quesada had but a few days previously passed through it with a large force of foot and horse. Von Hutten, after serious deliberation, concluded to follow closely in the rear of Quesada in the hope of sharing with him the treasures of El Dorado, should he succeed in discovering his whereabouts. The march of both expeditions was through trackless plains and woods, across impetuous rivers and deep morasses, in tropic heat and torrential rains that were more than enough to depress the stoutest hearts. But these dauntless soldiers of fortune pressed onward, fully convinced that they would eventually find the object of their quest After untold trials and dangers Quesada at length reached the Province of Papamene, at the headwaters of the Caqueta or Japura, and thence made his way to Popayan, whence he was glad to return to Bogota a wiser but a poorer man. Von Huttenafter following him to Timana, near the crest of the eastern Cordillera, to the southeast of Popayan, faced, about and directed his course toward the river Gua•wlare, on the banks of which his Indian guide had assured him was a great pity called Macatoa, the capital of a region rich in gold and silver. As an evidence of the truth of his story he showed the German leader samples of gold fashioned in the form of apples or nisperos, which, he said, had been brought from that city, but before he could reach his eagerly coveted goal the winter season came on, and the entire country was inundated. There was then nothing left for them to do but seek higher ground and await the return of the dry season. But as the district in which they took refuge was sparsely populated and almost entirely destitute of the means of subsistence the intrepid explorers soon began to experlnce all the horrors of a famine. For a while their chief sustenance was a mixture of maize and ants. The ants were secured by placing some maize near the opening of an ant hill, and when it was covered with these insects they consumed maize and insects together and thus appeased their hunger. But as there was not enough of this aliment for all, many were fain to appease the gnawings of hunger by consuming grubs, beetles, or other things equally disgusting. In consequence of this their hair, beards and eyebrows fell off. "Finally,” writes Oviedo y Banos, "all were covered with pestiferous tumors and poisonous ulcers, and that afflicted troop was converted Into a theater of miseries and an hospital of misfortunes." When the Inundation had subsided sufficiently to permit them to travel they resumed their march, and after long wandering about in the wilderness they found themselves again at Nuestra Senora, whence they had departed a twelvemonth before. Their failure and hardships did not, however, cause them to abandon their enterprise. Far from it Their ardor was as quenchless. and their determination to achieve success was as strong as when they took their departure from Coro. The reported existence toward the south of a country abounding In gold and silver supplied them with a new clue and gave seat to the expedition. After a long and perilous march, during which they passed through the country of the Usmes and visited their capital, Macatoa, the brave and persevering expedltloners reached the land of the rich and powerful Omaguas who Inhabited the territory between the Guavlare and the Caqueta, that land which Wallace, as late as 1853, called "the unknown regions between the Rio Guavlare on one side and the Japura on the other." Here, from an elevated position, the adventurers descried what they fondly believed was the goal which they had so long been striving to reach. It was a city so large that though It was near at hahd it extended beyond the range of vision. The streets were straight with the bouses dose together, and In the midst of all was an imposing edifice, which their Indian guide Informed them was the palsee of Quarica, the lord of the Omaguas. The structure also served as a temple in which. Von Hutten’s guide stated, were Idols of mas-

sive gold. Some of them, he averred, were a« children 3 and 4 years old, while one of them was of the size of a full-grown woman. Be sides these objects there were also there incalculable treasures belonging to the cacique and his vassals. And beyond this great city, Spaniards were assured, were other larger and richer cities belonging to powerful chieftains, who governed countless subjects and whose treasures of gold were far greater than those of the lord of the Imposing city on which their eyes were then riveted. With such vast riches within their grasp the adventurers were beside themselves with Joy. And although they counted but 40 men all told, they did not hesitate to attack a city in which, as they had been apprised, was a large and well-trained army. Putting spur* to his horse, Van Hutten dashed forward, followed by his men, who all confidently expected to be in a few hours the possessors of princely fortunes. But a well-directed Javelin from the hand of an Omaguan Indian, which seriously wounded the daring leader, suddenly arrested the impetuous onset and compelled the attacking party to beat a hasty retreat. But 15,000 Omaguan warriors were soon in hot pursuit and shortly after engaged the Invaders In battle. The Indians, however, notwithstanding their vastly superior numbers, were defeated with great loss, while the followers of Von Hutten, under the command of Pedro de Limpias, did not have ji single casualty. The ■victors then returned to Nuestra Sehora, wnere six months before they had left their infirm and incapacitated companions. A council of •war was then convened, in which ft was decided not to prosecute the enterprise so auspiciously begun without more men. These had to be obtained from CorO. But Von Hntten did not live t 6 realize his fond hopes, for he was soon afterwards cruelly murdered through the treachery of Pedro ■de Limpias, when those Who had taken part in the expedition disbanded without making any further attempt to gain possession of the rich kingdom which they had discovered and which they had already considered as theirs by right of virtual conquest. Did Von Hutten really discover Ell Doraddo? He certainly thought so, as did likewise his brave followers. Fully crediting what his Indian guides had told him regarding the vast treasures of gold kept in the temple of the Omaguas, he concluded at once that the cacique of this tribe was no other than the long-sought-for “Gilded King," although h* had no ocular evidence of the fact or any tangible proof of the existence of the great stores of gold and silver of which be had beard such glowing reports. As to the city of th# Omaguas, which, we are told, was so large that it extended beyond the range of vision, it was manifestly the creation of an excited fancy and as much of an exaggeration as the battle of 39 Europeans against 15,000 Indians. " It could, at best, have been nothing more than an agglomeration of villages, and the palace and temple, far from being the imposing edifice described, was but a large thatched structure similar to those still seen in the region bordering the Equator. Be this, however, as it may, the fact remains that Von Hutten’s expedition created an extraordinary sensation both in tbe New and in the Old World. Other adventurers had bat beard of El Dorado, but the German commander and his men had actually located him and had gazed on his palace, which was an immense storehouse of silver and gold. Naturally they were elated, for they had succeeded in achieving what others had failed to accomplish. The Gilded Man waa no longer a mere chimera bat a being with a “local habitation and a name.” He was the ruler of a densely populated region beta ween the Guavlare and the Amazon and his people were known as Omaguas. Thenceforward the name El Dorado was coupled with that of the Amaguas and both names were regarded as synonymous with inexhaustible wealth.