land with great possibilities; at any rate it is a land where you could be

understood, and of course it would be folly to go anywhere without a

knowledge of the language. I was, as you know, five years out there, and

came home when the war broke out between Chili and the Spaniards. I have

been more in Peru than in Chili, and as Peru was still in the hands of the

Spanish, it would have been impossible for me to go there again as long as

the war lasted. Knocking about as I did, I heard a great deal from the

natives (I mean the Indians). I gathered from them a number of their

traditions, and I am convinced that they know of any number of gold mines

that were formerly worked, but were blocked up when the Spaniards invaded

the country, and have been kept secret ever since.

"The natives have never spoken on the subject at all to the Spaniards. If

they had, they would have been flogged until they revealed all they knew--

that is to say, they would have been flogged to death, for no tortures

will wring from an Indian anything he knows about gold. They look upon

that metal as the source of all the misfortunes that have fallen upon

their race. With an Englishman whom they knew and trusted, and who, as

they also knew, had no wish whatever to discover gold mines, they were a

little less reticent. I never asked them any questions on a subject in

which I had not a shadow of interest, but I certainly had some curiosity,

not of a pecuniary kind, because the matter had always been a riddle as to

the hiding-place of the Incas' treasures. And from what I learned I should

say it is absolutely certain that a great portion of these escaped the

search of their Spanish tyrants.

"Whether the men who were employed in the work all died without revealing

the secret, or whether it had been trusted to a chosen few, I know not;

but the natives believe that there are still a few among them to whom the

secret has been passed down from father to son. Anyhow, all had heard

vague traditions. Some said that part of the treasure was carried hundreds

of miles inland and given over to a tribe of fierce savages, in a country

into which no European can enter. Another tradition is that a portion of

it was carried off by sea in a great canoe, which was never heard of again

and was believed to have been lost. I am not for a moment supposing,

Prendergast, that if you went out there you would have the most remote

chance of discovering what the Spaniards, ever since they landed there,

have been in vain trying to find, and I certainly should not think of

recommending a mad-brained adventure, but undoubtedly there are many rich

gold mines yet to be found. There are openings for trade, too; and I can

give you introductions to merchants both in Chili and Peru. It is not a

thing I should recommend to everyone, far from it; but if you want to

combine adventure with a chance, however small, of making money, I don't

know that you can do better than go to South America. You are fitted for

no calling here; your income, counting your half-pay, would suffice to

keep you out there, and a couple of years of such a life would do you no

harm."