STORY OF PANAMA

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 December 1929, Page 3

STORY OF PANAMA

HIDING PLACE OF RICHES Only a vine-covered tower with the; pounding surf of the Pacific at its feet; and the steaming jungle at its back marks the site of what was once the great walled city of Panama. Beyond are crumbling r(iins and the arched bridge over which Sir Henry Morgan led his ruffians to the conquest of the city. Near by are damp, dark vaults in which the powerful Dons kept their vast hoard of gold and jewels, wrested from the Incas and Aztecs, until long treasure trains of pack mules could carry it over the Gold road to the waiting Galleons in the harbour of Porto Bello on the Atlantic, writes Charles Chatel in the “Christian Science Monitor.” To-day the vaults are empty; the floors are deep with debris; what were once doors are now but splinters of wood hanging from rusty hinges; toads and bats hold'dominion where bishops and generals once stored their riches. Panama was at the height of its glory at the time of its sack by Morgan. As the naval base of the Span- ( ish ships in the Pacific, it was the assembly point fox’ the treasure-laden galleons carrying the wealth of Peru and Western Mexico. It was famed the world over as the “Goode and Staytie City,” the key to Spain’s colonies in the New World.

In describing the city, the historian, John Esquemeling, who was one of Morgan’s men, said: — “There belonged to this city (which is also the head of a bishopric) eight monasteries, whereof seven were for men and one for women, two stately churches, and one hospital. The churches and monasteries were all richly adorned with . altarpieces and paintings, huge quantity of precious things; all of which the ecclesiastics had hidden and concealed. Besides which ornaments, here were to be seen 2000 houses of magnificent and prodigious building being.all ox- the greatest part inhabited by merchants of that country, who were vastly rich. Fox- the rest of the inhabitants of lesser quality and tradesmen this city contained 5000 houses more.

So rich a prize attracted the cupidity of the pirates of the Spanish Main. Assembling undex* the leadership of Henry Morgan more than 2000 of them swept down on the city at sunrise, January 28, 1671. Frightened by stories of the ferocity of the pirates, the Spaniards steadily fell back until the sea rovers were in possession of the city. The pirates divided into little groups and searched the city fox’ the expected treasure, but the inhabitants had hidden their jewels and money, and even the plate and golden ornaments of the churches in wells and cisterns. In the confusion someone set fire to the city. Only the tower of the church of San Anastatio and the stone bridge were left intact. For nearly a month the pirates searched the ruins fox’ valuables. At last they left, carrying with them 194 mule-loads of gold, silver, and jewels, as well as hundreds of captives.

WHAT BECAME OF GREATER PART What became of the treasure of Panama? Morgan’s men were greatly disappointed in theix- loot. It is that they carried off huge quantities, but the greater part of it has nevexbeen discovered. A new city was built five miles inland from the ruins, and for centuries the superstitious were afraid to approach the site of the old city, for a bishop was supposed to have put his curse on the ruins. About the wealth- —one story was that the citizens were not afraid of capture and- hid their valuables in tunnels, walls, arid cisterris where it could be recovered easily when the invaders were repulsed. But riot long ago a dazzling altar of gold was discovered. Soon searchi ing parties were diggirig frantically in the old ruxris of the abandoned city, but nothirig was found of interest except a few silver coins arid an bld iron anchor. Then about three years ago came George Williams and others from England. Native Panaxnariiaris and Eriglish and American residents of the Isthmus jeered at the inventor who proposed, to find gold where they could see only stone ruxris and coconut trees. Mr. Williams secured a Government grant fo searcli for buried treasure, with the provision that he to turn ovex- to the Government all objects of artistic or historical value arid receive for his efforts three-quarters of th© value of all treasure recovered by himself.

Mr. Williams spent weeks poring ovex- musty manuscripts in the archives of the Republic of Panama. At last his critics decided that he must be ready to start digging for gold, but they were surprised again, fox- he tramped around the ruins taking readings with what appeared to be a galvarioirieter, and recorded the results from time to time in a nqte book. Then one day he appeared with a generator, two iron rods, and what appeared to be a radio receiving set equipped with a loop aerial mounted in a swinging frame. The mysterious apparatus was set up in various locations in the area which he had surveyed with the galvanometer. At each set-up, the inventor would clamp a paix- of head ’phones ovex- his e ears, listen a few minutes, and then order the instruments moved

to another spot. Finally he seemed satisfied for lie put the apparatus to one side and commanded his servants to begin digging. At a depth of 30 feet the shovels scraped against “ollas” or clay water 1 jars. When hoisted to the surface of the digging and broken open they were found to contain coins baked with mud. when the dirt was washed off, the. coins were found to be “pieces of dight” with dates, that preceded the sacking of the z city. The workmen continued to dig pud found iron kettles filled with, keys, daggers, sword hilts, and candlesticks. Bronze stirrups and irons, arid armour plate were found iriixed indiscriminately with statuary and gold and silver jewellery. It was apparent that whoever buried these articles had no time to spare for careful packing.

FOUND IN WELLS AND TUNNELS Personal effects and household utensils were found in wells and cisterns, but the most valuable discoveries were statues and altarpieces of gold and silver buried by the priests .in tunnels connecting th'e churches and monasteries. Often the explorer. had to stop operations until he could install. ' a pump and remove the water which seeped in from the. surrouning soil. The fierce heat of the fire which destroyed the city was attested to by the fragments of twisted iron which were

fused into the sides of clay .jars buried iriariy feet belbw the surface of the soil. The underlying idea of the apparatus was that lines of current flow , are symmetrical in an area undisturbed by the presence of metals, but are distorted when metals are present because the increased conductivity of metals causes them to bunch together. In an area which has been explored with a variometer, an instrument which indicates variations in declination and inclination of .a compas.s needle, two iron rods are buried and connected to a 500-cycle generator. A. special receiving set using a loop aerial and three vacuum tubes is used to take readings in the area-between the energised .rods. By plotting poiMs of different intensity it is possible to locate approximately any considerable mass of buried metal. ‘ There are those who believe that he discovered a process , which .might revolutionise the mining industry; there are others who suggest that he, found the secrets of the did Doris in the archives of the Government and that the apparatus is. merely a blind. Bitt what happened, to thehealth of /bid Panama City is no longer a complete secret,