298 



HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



of the conquest of Peru by Pizarro, a large number of the natives 

 escaped into the interior ; and rumor added that one of the sons 

 of the reigning Inca had withdrawn across the continent to a 

 region situated between the Amazon and the Orinoco and called 

 by the general name of Guiana. Here he had founded, it was 

 added, an empire more splendid than that of Peru: its capital 

 city, Manoa, only one European had seen. This was a Spaniard, 

 a marine on board a man-of-war, who, according to the legend, 

 had allowed a powder-magazine to explode and was condemned 

 to death for his carelessness. This penalty was commuted, how- 

 ever, and he was placed in a boat at the mouth of the Orinoco, 

 with orders to penetrate into the interior. He stayed seven 

 months at Manoa, and then escaped to Porto Rico. He gave 

 the following account of the city and kingdom, the latter being 

 called, he said, El Dorado, or The Gilded : 



The columns of the emperor's palace were of porphyry and 

 alabaster, the galleries of ebony and cedar, and golden steps 

 led to a throne of ivory. The palace, which was built of white 

 marble, stood upon an island in a lake or inland sea. Two 

 towers guarded the entrance : between them was a pillar twenty- 

 five feet in height, upon which was a huge silver moon. Beyond 

 was a quadrangle planted with trees, and watered by a silver 

 fountain which spouted through four golden pipes. The gate 

 of the palace was of copper. Within, four lamps burned day 

 and night before an altar of silver upon which was a burnished 

 golden sun. Three thousand workmen were employed in the 

 Street of the Silversmiths. 



The name of El Dorado, as applied to the kingdom of which 

 Manoa was the metropolis, may refer to its wealth and splendor, 

 or it may be derived from a habit attributed by some to the 

 emperor, by others to the high-priests, and even to the inhabit- 

 ants generally when in a state of intoxication. This custom 

 was to cause themselves to be anointed with a precious anf| 

 fragrant gum, after which gold-dust was blown upon them 



