14 Gardiner G. liuhhard — South America. 



with legends of a prince of Guiana, whose body, first smeared 

 with turpentine, was then powdered with gold dust, so that he 

 strode among his j^eople a majestic golden statue. Adventur.ers 

 started in search of this El Dorado, some from Peru, others from 

 Quito and from Trinidad ; but the golden city was never found. 

 They, however, brought back reports of chiefs whose bodies 

 sparkled with gold dust as they danced, who had golden eagles 

 dangling from their breasts and great pearls from their ears ; 

 they told of mines of diamonds and gold, and of the natives who 

 longed to exchange their jewels for jews-harps. 



Sir Walter Raleigh determined to find this country and bring 

 to his queen its fabulous riches, for he believed that the silver 

 and gold mines of Mexico and Peru had made Spain the first 

 state in Christendom — " that purchaseth intelligence and creepeth 

 into counsels and endangereth and disturbeth all the nations of 

 Europe." 



In 15.95, Sir Walter sailed from England and arrived at the 

 Isle of Trinidad, where he overthrew the Spaniards, then sailed 

 up the Orinoco, or one of its branches, four hundred miles, until 

 hunger and sickness compelled him to return. Although he did 

 not reach the golden city, he could see the mountains far in the 

 distance which he believed surrounded it, and he found the shin- 

 ing sand on the banks of the Orinoco. In Guiana he raised the 

 flag of England and compelled the Indians to swear fealty to his 

 queen. 



Twenty years later, a prisoner in the Tower, he was released in 

 order to make a second voyage in search of this El Dorado for 

 King James. He sailed in 1617, accompanied by his eldest son ; 

 but disaster and sickness met him at every step. He reached the 

 Orinoco again, too feeble to land. So his son and Captain Keymis 

 went instead. Keymis returned after a month of exploration, 

 bringing Raleigh the news of the death of his son in an attack 

 on a Spanish town. He brought reports of the golden city, 

 of the mines of gold, diamonds and emeralds, but neither gold, 

 diamonds nor emeralds to confirm the truth of these reports. 

 Raleigh said, "I am undone;" Keymis replied, "I know then, 

 Sir, what course to take." He went to his "cabin and killed 

 himself. 



Raleigh returned to England, a broken down old man. The 

 Spaniards demanded his life of James as they had demanded it of 

 Elizabeth after his first expedition, on the ground that in time of 



