GOLD IN THE HEART OF THE ANDES.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13756, 23 June 1913, Page 2

GOLD IN THE HEART OF THE ANDES.

On the United Fruit Company's steamer Carillo, which sailed from Now York for Guayqnil, Ecuador, wero Mr. Mr. and Mrs. William G. Gates, of Callao, Peru, and three mining enginoors and assaycrs.

Mr. Gates has had largo mining interests in Peru for some years past, but a couple of months ago ho came upon a "find" in tho course--of explorations in the wilds of the Andes that impressed him so deeply that ho came at onco to Now York in order to secure expert opinion on tho question. The location of tho "find" Mr. Gatos refused to mako public beyond saying that it is between the headwaters of

two rivers. Tho ore, says Mr. Gates—gold ore— is of such richness that ho believes ho has at last actually found the -original treasure-lode of tho Incas, and has thus rediscovered an ancient mine that has boon the subject of wild speculation, the object of hundreds of prospecting expeditions, and tho thorne of scores of romances of ovory language since tho days of Pizarro.

"The tales of tho old Spanish conluistadores," said Mr. Gates, "are full )f descriptions of the splendours of the :ourt of the Inctis, Manco, and Huayna Uapac, of the gold plates on tho walls )f their palaces and temples, the gold >rnaments* of tho costumes of even the noanest of their court attendants, the ;old that apparently strewed tho vory ;round around them. Tho precious notal seems to have been common as cad among them. '■'Pizarro and his men seized vast ■uantitics of gold and silver at the rfJuog oi: Quito and Cuzco, but it has . ■ ••beliCFed. tljat even larger hvays been " } them ortions ot tho treasure osc. _ nd has remained to this day bun... ir back in some- almost inaccessible ocosses of tho Andes.

"I do not Jcnow whether these tales are myth or exaggeration or plain sober fact. Certainly ncno of tho many expeditions organised to search j for tho treasure have cvor been successful. But it is not open to doubt that Pizarro and his men did seko immense- quantities of gold in Peru. Enough of-it was brought back to Spain to prove that. None of the mines now known in Peru would account for such vast wealth. Tho lode I havo just found, however, is of such amazing richness that I think it is only reasonable to suppose that it must be the true Gource of tho treasures of tho Incas." ' "

Mr. Gates said that he had not let his discovery bo known in Peru for foar of Government interference. It is understood in Lima that ho has found iron ore, and his expedition is known in Peru as an expedition to develop a now iron mine.