The Treasure of the Incas: A Story of Adventure in Peru, Page 3

  CHAPTER III

  AT LIMA

  Three days later the sky cleared, and the captain, getting anobservation, found that they had rounded the southernmost point of theCape. Another day and the _Para's_ head was turned north, and a weeklater they were running smoothly along before a gentle breeze, with thecoast of Chili twenty miles away. The heavy wraps had all been laidaside, and although the air was still frosty, the crew felt it warmafter what they had endured. The upper spars and yards had all beensent up, and she was now carrying a crowd of canvas. The mate hadthawed out under the more congenial surroundings. He had worked like ahorse during the storm, setting an example, whether in going aloft orin the work of clearing off the ice from the bows, and even when hiswatch was relieved he seldom went below.

  "Well, I hope, Mr. Johnson, we shall sail together until you get yournext step," the captain said. "I could not wish for a better firstofficer."

  "I want nothing better, sir. She is a fine ship, well manned and wellcommanded. I begin to feel at home in her now; at first I didn't. Ihate changes; and though the last captain I sailed with was a surlyfellow, we got on very well together. I would rather sail with a manlike that than with a skipper who is always talking. I am a silent manmyself, and am quite content to eat my meal and enjoy it, withouthaving to stop every time I am putting my fork into my mouth to answersome question or other. I was once six months up in the north withoutever speaking to a soul. I was whaling then, and a snow-storm came onwhen we were fast on to a fish. It was twenty-four hours before itcleared off, and when it did there was no ship to be seen. We were inan inlet at the time in Baffin's Bay. We thought that the ship wouldcome back, and we landed and hauled up the boat. The ship didn't comeback, and, as I learned long afterwards, was never heard of again. Isuppose she got nipped between two icebergs.

  "Winter was coming on fast, and the men all agreed that they wouldrather try and make their way south overland than stay there. I toldthem that they were fools, but I admit that the prospect of a winterthere was enough to frighten any man. I did not like it myself, but Ithought it was wiser to remain there than to move. Some of the men wentalong the shore, or out in the boat, and managed to kill severalsea-cows. They made a sledge, piled the meat on it, and started.

  "Meanwhile I had been busy building a sort of hut. I piled great stonesagainst the foot of the cliffs, and turned the boat upside down to forma roof. The men helped me to do that job the last thing before theystarted. Then I blocked up the entrance, leaving only just room for meto crawl in and out. The snow began to fall steadily three days afterthe others had gone, and very soon covered my hut two feet deep. Imelted the blubber of the whale in the boat's baler, for we had towedthe fish ashore. The first potful or two I boiled over a few bits ofdrift-wood. After that it was easy enough, as I unravelled some of theboat's rope, dipped it in the hot blubber, and made a store of bigcandles. There was a lot of meat left on the sea-cows, so I cut thatup, froze it, and stowed as much as I could in the hut. I was botheredabout the rest, as I knew the bears were likely to come down; but Ifound a ledge on the face of the perpendicular rock, and by putting theboat's mast against it I was able to get up to it. Here I piled, Ishould say, a ton of meat and blubber. Then I set to work and collectedsome dried grass, and soon I had enough to serve as bed and covers. Ittook me a month to do all this, and by that time winter was down on mein earnest. I had spent my evenings in making myself, out of the skinsof the three cows, breeches, high boots, and a coat with a hood overthe head, and in order to make these soft I rubbed them with hot oil.They were rough things, but I hoped that I might get a bear later on.Fortunately the boat had two balers, for I required one in which tomelt the snow over the lamp.

  "Well, sir, I lived there during that winter. I did not find italtogether dull, for I had several bits of excitement. For a month orso bears and wolves came down and fought over the carcass of the whale.When that was eaten up they turned their attention to me, and over andover again they tried to break in. They had better have left me alone,for though they were strong enough to have pulled away the rocks thatblocked the entrance, they could not stand fire. As I had any amount ofrope, I used to soak it in rock-oil, set it on fire, and shove it outof the entrance. Twice small bears managed to wriggle up the passage,but I had sharpened the boat-hook and managed to kill them both. Oneskin made me a whole suit, and the other a first-rate blanket. Not thatit was ever unpleasantly cold, for a couple of my big candles, and thethick coating of snow over it, kept the place as warm as I cared for.Occasionally, when the bears had cleared off, I went out, climbed themast, and got fresh supplies down. They had made desperate efforts toget at the meat, but the face of the rock was luckily too smooth forthem to get any hold. When spring came and the ice broke up, I plantedthe mast on the top of the cliff with the sail fastened as a flag, anda month after the sea was clear a whaler came in and took me off. Thatwas how I pretty well lost the use of my tongue, and though I am betterthan I was, I don't use it much now except on duty."

  "That certainly accounts for it," Harry said; "you must have had anawful time."

  "I don't think I minded it very much, sir. Except when I was botheredby the bears I slept a good lot. I think at first I used to talk outloud a good deal. But I soon dropped that, though I used to whistlesometimes when I was cooking the food. I don't think I should have heldon so long if I had only had the sea-cow flesh, but the bears made anice change, and I only wished that one or two more had managed tocrawl in."

  "I wonder you were able to kill them with a boat-hook."

  "I didn't, sir. You know every whaler carries an axe to cut the line ifnecessary, and I was able to split their skulls as they crawled inbefore they could get fairly on to their feet and use their paws. I wasgetting very weak with scurvy towards the end; but as soon as the snowmelted plants began to shoot, and I was able to collect green stuff, sothat I was nearly well by the time I was picked up."

  The weather continued fine all the time they were coasting up theChilian coast. They were a week at Valparaiso getting out the cargothey had brought for that town, and did some trading at smaller ports;but at last, just four months after leaving England, they droppedanchor off Callao. "Well, it has been a jolly voyage, Harry," hisbrother said as they were rowed ashore, after a hearty farewell fromthe captain and the first officer.

  "I am glad you enjoyed it, Bertie. I was sorry all the time I hadn'ttaken a passage for you aft."

  "I am better pleased to have been at work; it would have been awfullyslow otherwise. The mates were both good fellows, and I got on wellwith the other apprentices. I tried at first not to turn out on nightwatch, as I was not obliged to do so, but I soon gave it up; it seemeddisgusting to be lying there when the others had to turn out. It hasbeen a jolly voyage, but I am glad that we are here at last, and aregoing to set to work in search of treasures."

  "I had begun to think that we should not get on shore to-day," Harrysaid as they neared the landing-place. "What with three hours' waitingfor the medical officer, and another three for that bumptious officialwhom they call the port officer, and without whose permission no one isallowed to land, I think everyone on board was so disgusted that weshould have liked nothing better than to pitch the fellow overboard. Itwas rather amusing to watch all those boatmen crowding round shoutingthe praises of their own craft and running down the others. But alittle of it goes a long way. It is the same pretty nearly at everyport I have entered. Boatmen are harpies of the worst kind. It is luckythat we had so little baggage; a tip of a couple of dollars was enoughto render the custom-house officer not only civil but servile."

  As they mounted the steps they were assailed by a motley crowd, half ofwhom struggled to get near them to hold out their hands for alms, whilethe other half struggled and fought for the right of carrying theirbaggage. Accustomed to such scenes, Harry at once seized upon two ofthem, gave them the portmanteaux, and, keeping behind them, pushed themthrough the crowd, telling them to lead the way to the hotel that thecaptain had recomm
ended as being the least filthy in the place. Theycrossed a square covered with goods of all kinds. There were long rowsof great jars filled with native spirit, bales of cinchona bark, pilesof wheat from Chili, white and rose-coloured blocks of salt, pyramidsof unrefined sugar, and a block of great bars of silver; among theseagain were bales and boxes landed from foreign countries, logs oftimber, and old anchors and chains. Numbers of people who appeared tohave nothing to do sauntered about or sat on logs. In odd corners werenative women engaged in making the picanties upon which the poorlargely exist; these were composed of fresh and salt meat, potatoes,crabs, the juice of bitter oranges, lard, salt, and an abundance ofpepper pods.

  "That is the sort of thing we shall have to eat, Bertie."

  "Well, I should not mind if I had not got to look on at the making;they smell uncommonly good."

  The hotel was larger and even more dirty than the captain's descriptionhad led them to expect. However, the dinner that was served to them wasbetter than they had looked for, and being very hungry after their longwait, they did full justice to it.

  "It might have been a good deal worse, Bertie."

  "I should think so; after four months of salt junk it is splendid!"

  A cup of really good coffee, followed by a little glass of nativespirits, added to their satisfaction. They had hesitated before whetherto push on at once to Lima or wait there till next morning. Their mealdecided them--they would start at daybreak, so as to get to Lima beforethe sun became really hot. Harry asked the landlord to bargain for tworiding mules and one for baggage to be ready at that hour, and theythen strolled out to view the place, although Bertie assured hisbrother that there was nothing whatever to see in it.

  "That may be, Bertie; but we are not going to begin by being lazy.There is always something to see in foreign lands by those who keeptheir eyes open."

  After an hour's walk Harry was inclined to think that his brother wasright. The houses were generally constructed of canes, plastered withmud, and painted yellow. As the result of earthquakes, scarce a housestood upright--some leaned sideways, and looked as if they were goingto topple over into the road; while others leaned back, as if, were youto push against them, they would collapse and crush the inmates.

  Their night was not a pleasant one. The beds were simple, consistingonly of hides stretched across wooden frames, but, as they veryspeedily found, there were numerous other inhabitants. They thereforeslept but little, and were heartily glad when the first gleam of dawnappeared.

  Slipping on their clothes, they ran down to the shore and had a bath.By the time they returned breakfast was ready--coffee, fish, and eggs.The mules did not appear for another hour, by which time their patiencewas all but exhausted. The portmanteaux were speedily strapped on tothe back of the baggage mule, and they mounted the two others. Themuleteer had brought one for himself, and, fastening the baggage animalbehind it, they started.

  It was six miles to Lima, but as the city is five hundred and twelvefeet above the sea, the ascent was steady and somewhat steep. The roadwas desperately bad, and the country uninteresting, being for the mostpart dried up. Occasionally they saw great mounds of adobe bricks, theremains of the ancient habitations. As they neared the town vegetationbecame general, small canals irrigating the country. Here were fruitand vegetable gardens, with oranges, plantains, vines, and flowers.

  Passing through a gate in the walls they entered the town, whichafforded a pleasant contrast to the squalid misery of Callao. The city,however, could not be called imposing; the houses were low andirregular, fantastically painted in squares or stripes, and almost allhad great balconies shut in with trellis-work.

  Few of the houses had any windows towards the street, the larger onesbeing constructed with a central courtyard, into which the rooms allopened. The streets were all built at right angles, the principal onesleading from the grand square, in which stood the cathedral and thepalace of the Spanish viceroys, the other sides consisting of privatehouses, with shops and arcades below them. The hotel to which they hadbeen recommended was a large building with a courtyard, with dining andother rooms opening from it, and above them the bedrooms. In comparisonwith the inn at Callao it was magnificent, but in point of cleanlinessit left a great deal to be desired. After settling themselves in theirroom they went out. The change in temperature since they had leftCallao had been very great.

  "The first thing to do, Bertie, is to buy ourselves a couple of goodponchos. You see all the natives are wearing them."

  "We certainly want something of the sort, Harry. I thought it was heatthat we were going to suffer from, but it seems just the other way. Tojudge from the temperature we might be in Scotland, and this damp mistchills one to the bone."

  "I am not much surprised, for of course I got the subject up as much asI could before starting; and Barnett told me that Lima was altogetheran exceptional place, and that while it was bright and warm during thewinter months, from May till November on the plains only a few milesaway, even in the summer months there was almost always a clammy mistat Lima, and that inside the house as well as outside everythingstreamed with moisture. He said that this had never been satisfactorilyaccounted for. Some say that it is due to the coldness of the riverhere--the Rimac--which comes down from the snowy mountains. Othersthink that the cold wind that always blows down the valley of the rivermeets the winds from the sea here, and the moisture contained in themis thus precipitated. I believe that a few miles higher up we shall getout of this atmosphere altogether. Still, the ponchos will be veryuseful, for it will be really cold up in the mountains. They serve forcloaks in the daytime and blankets at night. The best are made of thewool of the guanacos, a sort of llama. Their wool is very fine, andbefore we start we will get two of coarser wool to use as blankets tosleep on, while we have the finer ones to cover us."

  There was no difficulty in finding a shop with the goods they wanted,and the prices, even of the best, were very moderate. They next boughttwo soft felt hats with broad brims.

  "That is ever so much more comfortable. We will wait until to-morrowbefore we begin what we may call business, Bertie. Of course I shalldeliver the other letters of introduction that Mr. Barnett gave me; butthe principal one--that to his former muleteer--is more important thanall put together. If anything has happened to him, there is an end ofany chance whatever of finding treasure. Of course he may have movedaway, or be absent on a journey with his mules, in which case we shallhave either to follow him or wait for his return."

  "That would be a frightful nuisance."

  "Yes; still, it is one of the things that we foresaw might happen."

  "I vote we go at once, Harry, and see if he is here."

  "I don't think we shall find him here; for Barnett said that he livedin the village of Miraflores, five miles away on the north, and that ifhe is not there, Senor Pasquez, to whom I have a letter, will be likelyto tell me where he is to be found, for he is often employed by him.However, I am as anxious as you to see him. As it is only eleveno'clock yet, there is no reason why we should not go to Miraflores.They will get mules for us at the hotel, and tell us which road totake."

  It was not necessary, however, to go into the hotel, for when theyreturned, two or three men with mules were waiting to be hired. Theyengaged two animals, and as the man of whom they hired them had athird, and he was ready to accompany them for a small fee, they agreedto take him with them.

  Before they were a mile out of the town the mist cleared off and thesun shone brightly. The heat, however, was by no means too great to bepleasant. Miraflores was a charming village, or rather small town,nestling among gardens and orchards.

  "I want to find a muleteer named Dias Otero," Harry said to their guideas they rode into the place.

  "I know him well," he said. "Everyone about here knows Dias. His wifewas a cousin of my mother's."

  "Do you know whether he is at home now?"

  "Yes, senor; I saw him in Lima three days ago. He had just come downfrom the mountains. He had been away
two months, and certainly will nothave started again so soon. Shall I lead you to his house at once?"

  "Do so; it is to see him that I have come to this town. He worked for along time with a friend of mine some years ago, and I have brought amessage from him. I may be some time talking with him, so when I go inyou can tie up your mules for a while."

  "That is his house," the man said presently.

  It lay in the outskirts of the town, and was neater than the generalityof houses, and the garden was a mass of flowers. They dismounted,handed over the mules to their owner, and walked to the door. An Indianof some five-and-forty years came out as they did so.

  "Are you Dias Otero?" Harry asked.

  "The same, senor."

  "I have just arrived from England, and bring a letter to you from SenorBarnett, with whom you travelled for two or three years some time ago."

  The man's face lit up with pleasure. "Will you enter, senor. Friends ofSenor Barnett may command my services in any way. It is a delight tohear from him. He writes to me sometimes, but in these troubles lettersdo not always come. I love the senor; there never was a kinder master.He once saved my life at the risk of his own. Is there any hope of hiscoming out again?"

  "I do not think so, Dias. He is strong and well, but I do not think heis likely to start again on a journey of exploration. He is my greatestfriend. My brother and I were left under his charge when we were young,and he has been almost a father to us. It is he who has sent us out toyou. Here is his letter."

  "Will you read it to me, senor. I cannot read; I am always obliged toget somebody to read my letters, and write answers for me."

  The letter was of course in Spanish, and Harry read:

  "Dear friend Dias,

  "I am sending out to you a gentleman, Mr. Prendergast, an officer ofthe British Navy, in whom I am deeply interested. His brotheraccompanies him. I beg that you will treat them as you would me, andevery service you can render him consider as rendered to myself. From areason which he will no doubt explain to you in time, it is of thedeepest importance to him that he should grow rich in the course of thenext two years. He asked my advice, and I said to him, 'There is no oneI know of who could possibly put you in the way of so doing better thanmy friend Dias Otero. I believe it is in his power to do so if he iswilling.' I also believe that for my sake you will aid him. He willplace himself wholly in your hands. He does not care what danger heruns, or what hardships he has to go through in order to attain hispurpose. I know that I need not say more to you. He has two yearsbefore him; long before that I am sure you will be as interested in himas you were in me. He has sufficient means to pay all expenses oftravel for the time he will be out there. I know that you are descendedfrom nobles of high rank at the court of the Incas when the Spaniardsarrived, and that secrets known to but few were passed down from fatherto son in your family. If you can use any of those secrets to theadvantage of my friend, I pray you most earnestly to do so. I trustthat this letter will find you and your good wife in health. Had I beenten years younger I would have come out with my friends to aid them intheir adventure, but I know that in putting them into your hands Ishall be doing them a vastly greater service than I could do were Iable to come in person."

  When Harry ceased, the Indian sat for some time without speaking, thenhe said:

  "It is a matter that I must think over, senor. It is a very grave one,and had any other man than Senor Barnett asked this service of me nomoney could have tempted me to assent to it. It is not only that mylife would be in danger, but that my name would be held up toexecration by all my people were I to divulge the secret that even thetortures of the Spaniards could not wring from us. I must think it overbefore I answer. I suppose you are staying at the Hotel Morin; I willcall and see you when I have thought the matter over. It is a gravequestion, and it may be three or four days before I can decide."

  "I thank you, Dias; but there is no occasion for you to give a finaldecision now. Whether or no, we shall travel for a while, and I trustthat you will go with us with your mules and be our guide, as you didto Mr. Barnett. It will be time enough when you know us better to giveus a final answer; it is not to be expected that even for SenorBarnett's sake you would do this immense service for strangers,therefore I pray you to leave the matter open. Make arrangements foryour mules and yourself for a three months' journey in the mountains,show us what there is to see of the gold and silver placers, and thequicksilver mines at Huanuco. At the end of that time you will know usand can say whether you are ready to aid us in our search."

  The native bowed his head gravely.

  "I will think it over," he said; "and now, senors, let us put thataside. My wife has been busy since you entered in preparing a simplemeal, and I ask you to honour me by partaking of it."

  "With pleasure, Dias."

  It consisted of _puchero_, a stew consisting of a piece of beef,cabbage, sweet-potatoes, salt pork, sausage-meat, pigs' feet, yuccas,bananas, quinces, peas, rice, salt, and an abundance of Chili peppers.This had been cooked for six hours and was now warmed up. Two bottlesof excellent native wine, a flask of spirits, and some water were alsoput on the table. The Indian declined to sit down with them, sayingthat he had taken a meal an hour before.

  While they ate he chatted with them, asking questions of their voyageand telling them of the state of things in the country.

  "It is always the same, senors, there is a revolution and two or threebattles; then either the president or the one who wants to be presidentescapes from the country or is taken and shot, and in a day or twothere is a fresh pronunciamiento. We thought that when the Spaniardshad been driven out we should have had peace, but it is not so; we havehad San Martin, and Bolivar, and Aguero, and Santa Cruz, and Sucre.Bolivar again finally defeated the Spaniards at Ayacucho. Rodil heldpossession of Callao castle, and defended it until January of thisyear. We in the villages have not suffered--those who liked fightingwent out with one or other of the generals; some have returned, othershave been killed--but Lima has suffered greatly. Sometimes the peoplehave taken one side, sometimes the other, and though the general theysupported was sometimes victorious for a short time, in the end theysuffered. Most of the old Spanish families perished; numbers died inthe castle of Callao, where many thousands of the best blood of Limatook refuge, and of these well-nigh half died of hunger and miserybefore Rodil surrendered."

  "But does not this make travelling very unsafe?"

  The Indian shrugged his shoulders.

  "Peru is a large country, senor, and those who want to keep out of theway of the armies and lighting can do so; I myself have continued myoccupation and have never fallen in with the armies. That is becausethe fighting is principally in the plains, or round Cuzco; for the mendo not go into the mountains except as fugitives, as they could notfind food there for an army. It is these fugitives who render the roadsomewhat unsafe; starving men must take what they can get. They do notinterfere with the great silver convoys from Potosi or other mines--aloaf of bread is worth more than a bar of silver in the mountains--butthey will plunder persons coming down with goods to the town or goingup with their purchases. Once or twice I have had to give up the food Icarried with me, but I have had little to grumble at, and I do notthink you need trouble yourself about them; we will take care to avoidthem as far as possible."

  After chatting for an hour they left the cottage, and, mounting theirmules, returned to Lima.

  "I think he will help us, Harry," Bertie said as soon as they set out.

  "I think so too, but we must not press him to begin with. Of coursethere is a question too as to how far he can help us. He may knowvaguely where the rich mines once existed; but you must remember thatthey have been lost for three hundred years, and it may be impossiblefor even a man who has received the traditions as to their positions tohit upon the precise spot. The mountains, you see, are tremendous;there must be innumerable ravines and gorges among them. It is certainthat nothing approaching an accurate map can ever have been made of themountains,
and I should say that in most cases the indications that mayhave been given are very vague. They would no doubt have beensufficient for those who lived soon after the money was hidden, andwere natives of that part of the country and thoroughly acquainted withall the surroundings, but when the information came to be handed downfrom mouth to mouth during many generations, the local knowledge wouldbe lost, and what were at first detailed instructions would becomelittle better than vague legends. You know how three hundred years willalter the face of a country--rocks roll down the hills, torrents washaway the soil, forests grow or are cleared away. I believe with youthat the Indian will do his best, but I have grave doubts whether hewill be able to locate any big thing."

  "Well, you don't take a very cheerful view of things, Harry; youcertainly seemed more hopeful when we first started."

  "Yes. I don't say I am not hopeful still, but it is one thing to planout an enterprise at a distance and quite another when you are face toface with its execution. As we have come down the coast, and seen thatgreat range of mountains stretching along for hundreds of miles, and weknow that there is another quite as big lying behind it, I have begunto realize the difficulties of the adventures that we are undertaking.However, we shall hear, when Dias comes over to see us, what he thinksof the matter. I fancy he will say that he is willing to go with us andhelp us as far as he can, but that although he will do his best hecannot promise that he will be able to point out, with anything likecertainty, the position of any of the old mines."

  Next day they called on Senor Pasquez, who received them very cordially.

  "So you are going to follow the example of Senor Barnett and spend sometime in exploring the country and doing some shooting. Have you foundDias?"

  "Yes, senor, and I think he will go with us, though he has not given apositive answer."

  "You will be fortunate if you get him; he is one of the best-knownmuleteers in the country, and if anyone comes here and wants a guideDias is sure to be the first to be recommended. If he goes with you hecan give you much useful advice; he knows exactly what you will have totake with you, the best districts to visit for your purpose, and thebest way of getting there. For the rest, I shall be very happy to takecharge of any money you may wish to leave behind, and to act as yourbanker and cash any orders you may draw upon me. I will also receiveand place to your account any sums that may be sent you from England."

  "That, sir, is a matter which Mr. Barnett advised me to place in yourhands. After making what few purchases we require, and taking fiftypounds in silver, I shall have two hundred and fifty pounds to place inyour hands. Mr. Barnett will manage my affairs in my absence, and willsend to you fifty pounds quarterly."

  "You will find difficulty in spending it all in two years," themerchant said with a smile. "If you are content to live on what can bebought in the country, it costs very little; and as for the mules, theycan generally pick up enough at their halting-places to serve them,with a small allowance of grain. You can hire them cheaply, or you canbuy them. The latter is cheaper in the end, but you cannot be sure ofgetting mules accustomed to mountains, and you would therefore run therisk of their losing their foothold, and not only being dashed topieces but destroying their saddles and loads. However, if you securethe services of Dias Otero, you will get mules that know every path inthe mountains. He is famous for his animals, and he himself isconsidered the most trusty muleteer here; men think themselves lucky inobtaining his services. I would send him with loads of uncounted goldand should be sure that there would not be a piece missing."

  Next day Dias came to the hotel.

  "I have thought it over, senor," he said. "I need not say that were itonly ordinary service, instead of exploring the mountains, I should beglad indeed to do my best for a friend of Senor Barnett; but as to thereal purpose of your journey I wish, before making any arrangement,that the matter should be thoroughly understood. I have no certainknowledge whatever as to any of the lost mines, still less of anyhidden treasures; but I know all the traditions that have passed downconcerning them. I doubt whether any Indians now possess a certainknowledge of these things. For generations, no doubt, the secrets werehanded down from father to son, and it is possible that some few maystill know of these places; but I doubt it. Think of the hundreds andthousands of our people who have been killed in battle, or died asslaves in the mines, and you will see that numbers of those to whom thesecrets were entrusted must have taken their knowledge to the gravewith them.

  "In each generation the number of those who knew the particulars ofthese hiding-places must have diminished. Few now can know more than Ido, yet I am sure of nothing. I know generally where the mines weresituated and where some treasures were concealed, and what knowledge Ihave I will place at your service; but so great a care was used in theconcealment of the entrances to the mines, so carefully were thehiding-places of the treasures chosen, and so cunningly concealed,that, without the surest indications and the most minute instructions,we might search for years, as men indeed have done ever since theSpanish came here, without finding them. I am glad that I can lay myhand upon my heart and say, that whatever may have been possessed byancestors of mine, no actual details have ever come down to me; for,had it been so, I could not have revealed them to you. We know that allwho were instructed in these were bound by the most terrible oaths notto reveal them. Numbers have died under the torture rather than breakthose oaths; and even now, were one of us to betray the secrets thathad come down to him, he would be regarded as accursed. No one wouldbreak bread with him, every door would be closed against him, and if hedied his body would rot where it fell. But my knowledge is merelygeneral, gathered not only from the traditions known to all our people,but from confidences made by one member of our family to another. Fullknowledge was undoubtedly given to some of them; but all these musthave died without initiating others into the full particulars. Suchknowledge as I have is at your disposal. I can take you to thelocalities, I can say to you, 'Near this place was a great mine,' butunless chance favours you you may search in vain."

  "That is quite as much as I had hoped for, Dias, and I am grateful foryour willingness to do what you can for us, just as you did for SenorBarnett."