xxvni 
HIDDEN TREASURE 
493 
I ascertained also that the botanist above ahuded 
to was a Don Atanasio Guzman, who resided some 
time in the town of Pillaro, whence he headed 
many expeditions in quest of the gold of Llan- 
ganati. He made also a map of the Llanganatis, 
which was supposed to be still in existence. Guzman 
and his companions, although they found no deposit 
of gold, came on the mouths of several silver and 
copper mines, which had been worked in the time 
of the Incas, and ascertained the existence of other 
metals and minerals. They began to work the 
mines at first with ardour, which soon, however, 
cooled down, partly in consequence of intestine 
quarrels, but chiefly because they became disgusted 
with that slow mode of acquiring wealth when there 
was molten gold supposed to be hidden close by ; 
so the mines were at length all abandoned. This 
is said to have taken place early in the present 
century, but the exact date I can by no means 
ascertain. Guzman is reported to have met with 
Humboldt, " and to have shown his drawings of 
plants and animals to that prince of travellers. He 
died about 1806 or 1808, in the valley of Leytu, 
about four leagues eastward of Ambato, at a small 
farmhouse called now Leytillo, but marked on his 
map San Antonio. He was a somnambulist, and 
having one night walked out of the house while 
asleep, he fell down a steep place and so perished. 
This is all I have been able to learn, and I fear no 
documents now exist which can throw any further 
light on the story of his life, though a botanical 
manuscript of his is believed to be still preserved in 
one of the archives of Quito. I made unceasing 
inquiries for the map, and at length ascertained 
