Incass treasures

[gollum]

Re: Incas's treasures

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[Cubfan64]

Re: Incas's treasures

I've been interested in Peru, Ecuador and Ince Treasure for many many years now - albeit only through books. I know it's probably asking alot, but as I doubt I will ever have an opportunity to truly explore in those areas, I hope those of you here who have and do will continue to post your stories and photos - it's the next best thing to actually being there!!

Thanks very much!!!

 

[johnnyi]

Re: Incas's treasures

I've been interested in Peru, Ecuador and Ince Treasure for many many years now - albeit only through books. I know it's probably asking alot, but as I doubt I will ever have an opportunity to truly explore in those areas, I hope those of you here who have and do will continue to post your stories and photos - it's the next best thing to actually being there!!

Thanks very much!!!

Thanks for the enthusiasm! You're making me want to go back again...
I spoke to Bud, he's digging stuff out, and in the mean time he just sent me a photo in "living color" of our guide Peter, which gives an idea of the terrain on the plateau at "Plazuela". At this level there were wild birds, orchids, and cactus, yet on the top ridge above us on the way out we encountered a dusting of snow. The ground on the plateau itself was hardpan, and very little sunk below a few inches, despite the hundreds of years since it was lost. By the way, the ground in some of the areas of Bolivia that we covered was so rich in Inca culture that even crossing the yungas on our second expedition we'd find fragments of Inca bronze (mostly cloak pins or fagments) in some of the abandoned adobe structures built much later.

I mentioned Peter before, but he was something else, a real one of a kind. (still trying to locate him if he's still alive). A "Switzer", he adopted Bolivia as his "homeland", had the Bolivian condor tattood on his forearm, and last I heard had married a Bolivian and was gold dredging down there (a lot of years ago). He spoke fluent Quechua, which was for us (and will be for you) a necessity for in the Bolivian outback. (Spanish is about useless.) He had made his living running raw gemstones out of Brazil, and even on this expedition was trading for raw gems on the side from several mountains away (transaction which took the local "indians" over a week to accomplish by mule.) Take a gander at his shoes! The guy made the whole trek wearing a pair of dress lounging loafers

 

[simonds]

Re: Incas's treasures

More Please
This is really great, with johnnyi and real de tayopa. True explorers.

 

[Cubfan64]

Re: Incas's treasures

johnnyi and Real - I can truly say I can't get enough of stories like these!! The 3 books that I re-read over and over regarding Inca treasure are:

Sweat of the Sun, Tears of the Moon by Peter Lourie
Fever, Famine and Gold by Eric Erskine Loch
Valverde's Gold by Mark Honigsbaum

Although neither of you have books (at least not yet, or not that I'm aware of), each of your stories sound like small chapters in a much larger journal of adventure that gets the blood flowing in anyone with a true "heart of an explorer."

I have very few regrets in my life, but I can honestly say not throwing caution to the wind and experiencing the things you both have when I was younger is on the top of the list for me. I often feel as though I was born at least 200 years too late .

Although you may have a small audience here, it looks like it's VERY attentive - any photos, stories, etc... you can continue to add will be swallowed up as quickly as you post them. Thank you very much and hope you both have a Merry Christmas.

Paul

 

[Crow]

Re: Incas's treasures

Hello Johnnyi

Thank you very much for the interesting posts. It takes me back to when I was in Bolivia, I had salmonella poisoning the last time I was there and so ended my trip to Plazuela.

Did you ever get access to the alleged original documents presented to C H Prodgers regarding the Jesuit treasure in Plazuela monastery?

There is some documents in Bristol England about the later Sanders Expedition and the alleged parchment found in the tunnel. I am interested in finding original documents shown to C H Progers by Corina San Roman.

It seems the Jesuits even today actively claim they were never there and the whole treasure story told to C H Prodgers was a hoax?

It would be interesting to see the original document.

Regards Crow

 

[johnnyi]

Re: Incas's treasures

Hello Johnnyi

Thank you very much for the interesting posts. It takes me back to when I was in Bolivia, I had salmonella poisoning the last time I was there and so ended my trip to Plazuela.

Did you ever get access to the alleged original documents presented to C H Prodgers regarding the Jesuit treasure in Plazuela monastery?

There is some documents in Bristol England about the later Sanders Expedition and the alleged parchment found in the tunnel. I am interested in finding original documents shown to C H Progers by Corina San Roman.

It seems the Jesuits even today actively claim they were never there and the whole treasure story told to C H Prodgers was a hoax?

It would be interesting to see the original document.

Regards Crow

Crow, great to hear someone else has attempted the journey. When we were there we were the first since the one day long expedition which took place in the 60's which ended due to weather. If I may ask, what year did you attempt your trek to Plazuela? (to answer your earlier question, I have heard that another expedition took place shorty after our's by National geographic, but have been unable to confirm this yet). *Possibly the rebuilding of the "death road" has made access to a route to Plazuela more accessible since our visit? Let me know this too if you know?

Regarding the documents you spoke of, the answer is no. Aside from general research Bud did in Madrid Spain, we relied on the same "second hand" information that you are aware of. Regarding the treasure being a hoax, elements of it may very well have been hoaxed. Personally I believe the "gold cross" found in the mountain (which actually is on the other side of the river from Plazuela) was probably a hoax intended to draw in investors. I stayed in camp detecting the ruin the day that Bud and Nick ventured to that mountain across the river to see the cave. (from the start I didn't have faith that the mountain was the location we should search) , The amount of work they found there confirmed the degree of all consuming madness that must have existed in this quest. As you know, steam drills, engines, etc. were brought in by mule, (the remains of their mounts were still visible.) and this was a huge undertaking.

No, I don't personlly believe that the treasure that is described as existing in a cave does exist. I do trhink, based on what we found, that Plazuela was important none the less a a defensively built clearly Spanish site where a great deal of smelting took place, and a site built on an opprtune trade route. As I said earlier, I believe it was the previously unlocated exactly, yet documented site where an Inca King's "house of bronze" was brought by mule to be smelted into a bell. As I said earlier, in my opinion the chains were to suspend a crucible for whatever was smelted there.

This doesn't mean that there is not treasure at Plazuela. Just the circumstances of it's remoteness in a hostile environment, as well as the situation that existed with the exploitation Inca fortune, and the apparent haste in which Plazuela was abandonded, make the probability of both personal Jesuit fortune, and caches of Inca treasure secreted by "hold outs" a very real possibility. The existance of countless tunnels in and around the structure which were confirmed by the elders of Inquicibe to have existed for centuries seem to confirm that even the locals believed something was there.
(I'm discovering I'm repeating myself on some of this stuff. I should write it all down someday in a coherent order )

On another subject; it's rare to speak to someone else who might remember la Paz from the old days. Back when I was there our "hotel" bathroom contained a waste basket for the used toilet paper (because toilet paper could not make its way up hill through the sewer lines), and the upscale hot shower consisted of a coil of exposed bare copper wire with 200 volts running through it wrapped around a pipe at eye level. The public "bathroom" was an enclosed split trench on the avenida with little concrete "footprints" you'd balance yourself upon or else face disaster. There were gambling halls on the avenida also, with girls outside who'd try to lure you in. You could walk into any hardware store and buy dynamite. All new stuff to a guy who'd never been west of Pittsburgh or south of Miami.

The most incongrous place in la Paz was the "pizza parlor". Can't remember the name, maybe "lulu's" or something like that. The guy who ran it was an American ex-patriot from Brooklynn who'd come to Bolivia in the 1930's. There must be a story there somewhere. The stuff was pretty good, but not at all like pizza..made with goat's cheese I think. The waiter was an ancient little Bolivian who wore a starched shirt and tuxedo jacket. Something else... Let me know if it is still there. The more I write about it the more I miss it.

 

[Crow]

Re: Incas's treasures

Hello Johnnyi

There is some thing untamed about Bolivia with its wild and woolly windswept mountains, Altiplano and deep rain forested valleys and gorges of the Yungas valley. Bolivia in all its backward and some times dysfunctional existence has a charm all on its own. Some times you can feel a million miles from nowhere and even in another century.

One has not lived until you have trekked the wide open spaces of Bolivia, felt its three climates in one day and have traveled the roads of death, which are many. The Stremnaya road cut into a face of a cliff was one such the road that took my breath away. I was there much later in the mid 90's, I can only guess what the place was like in the 60's?

The incessant barking of dogs and the toilets of death are still there is some places. As well as the same but different ancient Inca laddies like a character out of a Hansel and Gretal story hawking whatever they can sell, bags of Cocos leaves or dried llama embryos for good luck charms. There was always one sleeping and living on each street corner with a pile of grandchildren. It makes you appreciate what we have in which we take so much for granted.

I am not sure with Lulu's but in Bolivia one is always meeting interesting people from all corners of the world. One thing I recommend, never go drinking with a Bolivian unless you want to pass out. These guys drink rocket fuel.

My journey through Bolivia was from the land border near lake Titicaca as I was Living in Cusco Peru for a time. It is when you have been South America for a while with no problems you begin to feel little more adventurous. My trip to Plazula was a little more than a half arsed spur of the moment expedition that had intended only see the site for myself. It was at the time possibly connected to another project I was researching. However I never made it there as I got sick with Salmonella poisoning. As you can imagine no fun in exploring when you are floating in and out of your body.

Two explorers Mark Howell and Tony Morrison in the Mid 60's made a brief visit. They climbed a hill they believed to be Caballo Cuno which was only 400ft high. There is some doubts to weather this was the right hill because it was alleged that the hill was 800 ft high. They also found a copper plate. They searched a cave that allegedly had the skeletons of about 300 native workers in a hill known as Negro Muerto. It has been also alleged that they were shown an ancient beautifully inscribed document by a Bolivian friend of theirs.

It is interesting to note that some silver plate was allegedly discovered by Prodgers in one of the burial mounds close to the river. What ever the truth is, it appears some mining and smelting activity was going on there at one time.

Did you ever find the square stone heap?

regards Crow

 

[johnnyi]

Re: Incas's treasures

Hello Johnnyi

There is some thing untamed about Bolivia with its wild and woolly windswept mountains, Altiplano and deep rain forested valleys and gorges of the Yungas valley. Bolivia in all its backward and some times dysfunctional existence has a charm all on its own. Some times you can feel a million miles from nowhere and even in another century.

One has not lived until you have trekked the wide open spaces of Bolivia, felt its three climates in one day and have traveled the roads of death, which are many. The Stremnaya road cut into a face of a cliff was one such the road that took my breath away. I was there much later in the mid 90's, I can only guess what the place was like in the 60's?

The incessant barking of dogs and the toilets of death are still there is some places. As well as the same but different ancient Inca laddies like a character out of a Hansel and Gretal story hawking whatever they can sell, bags of Cocos leaves or dried llama embryos for good luck charms. There was always one sleeping and living on each street corner with a pile of grandchildren. It makes you appreciate what we have in which we take so much for granted.

I am not sure with Lulu's but in Bolivia one is always meeting interesting people from all corners of the world. One thing I recommend, never go drinking with a Bolivian unless you want to pass out. These guys drink rocket fuel.

My journey through Bolivia was from the land border near lake Titicaca as I was Living in Cusco Peru for a time. It is when you have been South America for a while with no problems you begin to feel little more adventurous. My trip to Plazula was a little more than a half arsed spur of the moment expedition that had intended only see the site for myself. It was at the time possibly connected to another project I was researching. However I never made it there as I got sick with Salmonella poisoning. As you can imagine no fun in exploring when you are floating in and out of your body.

Two explorers Mark Howell and Tony Morrison in the Mid 60's made a brief visit. They climbed a hill they believed to be Caballo Cuno which was only 400ft high. There is some doubts to weather this was the right hill because it was alleged that the hill was 800 ft high. They also found a copper plate. They searched a cave that allegedly had the skeletons of about 300 native workers in a hill known as Negro Muerto. It has been also alleged that they were shown an ancient beautifully inscribed document by a Bolivian friend of theirs.

It is interesting to note that some silver plate was allegedly discovered by Prodgers in one of the burial mounds close to the river. What ever the truth is, it appears some mining and smelting activity was going on there at one time.

Did you ever find the square stone heap?

regards Crow

Yes, I too would have loved to have seen Bolivia in the 1960's, but I doubt it had changed that much from when I was there twenty years ago. It was definitely 'wild and woolly' even then, and I agree, time could stand still. It is not until we approach our existence on the way out that we realize completely what it means to live life through the richness of the moment. Not to 'wax too philosophical", but I'm certain that simplicity and wildness are more a part of what nurtures our beings then the safety and trappings of relatively modern "civilization".

Mentioning "wild and woolly", that sense of constant "adventure" is what defined it for me in those days. Even in the safety of La paz you'd invariably run across miners preparing to go out, or mountain climbers (usually German). There was a comfortable toughness about it all, even watching teams of Olympiads who'd come there specifically because the atmosphere was brutal for their runs up the slopes to El Alto.

Then crossing the Yungas and descending the cordellera every stop was an "event". Villagers came out in numbers to see the excitement. It was nothing to barter contracts for mules and mule drivers, or as it happened on our second expedition to Suri, have the entire village pack the gold dredge and equipment down the mountainside. I've heard it's this way throughout much of South America, the hospitality you are showed: In one village before Inquicibe we slept the night in a mud hut on the floor, offered soup and blankets by the aged little woman who lived there. It was something out of "Oliver Twist" had she been Bolivian, and it could have been three hundred years ago as easily as it was that day. What is so wonderful about the Bolivian outback is that it is an environment that necessitates such a basic, almost primal existence, that people can understand each other and respect each other on a level we don't usually see here. I miss that.

Ha! I'm rambling once again. No, we didn't find the stone heap, but we didn't search for it. We very quickly dismissed the idea that we would find much on that side of the river, and our attention was spent on areas which might not have been as well searched. As I mentioned, we did find Prodger's Mill on our journey down the river, still with shards of dried goatskin that once formed the roof. The remains of his wooden millwheeel we found lodged in the river bed several miles downstream. As I mentioned also I believe, we did find human bones on the slope above the plazuea sticking out of the hillside, but these could easily have been from the many disturbed graves. You mentioned Negro Muerto. That is Negro Muerto in the background of the last series of pictures. It is still very hard for me to believe that treasure was secreted there, if for no other reason then when the rains come the vast expanse of river bed becomes a raging torrent and I would imagine that any treasure should be accessable from the monetary. It was the rain that ended the 1960 expedition after one day, and it was the unseasonable rains that ended our's eventually.

There is one element of finding a treasure, particularly one which might conceivably be in excess of a billion dollars today based on its description, which we rarely want to think about. That is, what do you do once you've found it? In our case we did have ties with the Bolivian government and ties with one of the larger mineral companies. The deal then in Bolivia was I believe, that they would pay gold price for treasure recovered. That in itself is "too good to be true", let alone in a country as politically unstable as Bolivia. The reality is that unless you have a small army I don't think you would not stand much of a chance getting a treasure of that value into La Paz, let alone believing you'd survive the inevitable hurdles that could come in the form of antiquated land rights or other legal nuances...again, that is if you survived in one piece to get that far!

No, the treasure, if there is one, is in the search, and may partly be in believing you were close. Aside from what you do manage to find, it is mostly the stuff that happens on the way that turns out to be the treasure, and it is definately treasure! There is still the location farther up river where I dug the chains, a spot devoid of any other artifact, where above is thirty or forty feet of broken stone covering part of the hill which resembled no other part of the entire hillside. That was the day the rains came and was the day we had to abandon the site. I know I'll probably never go back to Plazuea, but if I did I'd work that slope hard with a twin box on the chance those chains were put into use at the end of the day to haul rather than to suspend. They were mighty far "from home". In fact they were far from anywhere.

 

[Goodyguy]

Re: Incas's treasures

Wow that is great stuff guys! ........ I'm so fascinated by the tales of your adventures.



More ....... more!
Pics too........please.
GG~

 

[Crow]

Re: Incas's treasures

Hello Jonnyi

I think sanders with his 1928 expedition was under a lot of pressure to come up with the goods. In some of his research I have found some errors. Was that was due to fatigue because when Sanders Returned to England he was a very broken man? In the picture is the alleged cross that Sanders Found in the Tunnel.

I wonder if the site where you found the chain was related to some of the mines in the area nearby. There are thousands of abandoned mine sites all across Bolivia. Perhaps you found the remains of the old workings of the very rich Tres Tertillas or El Carmen mines which was in early operation since 1635.

I have no evidence of a large scale Jesuit Mission there. But perhaps Plazuela was no more than a mere outpost or an area used for processing minerals from the neighboring mines. Perhaps you could enlighten me on the scale of buildings around the church?

There is another story that is backed up by primary sources in Seville Spain. It has been said in ancient manuscripts that In 1648, captain Francisco Gomez Rocha was embezzling tons of precious metals in various sites across Bolivia. There was a claim that he buried near Potosi (Bolivia) a treasure of 170 tons. However this was never proven to be the exact site.

When Franisco Gomez Rocha discovered that his enterprise had been discovered, he with a small army of slaves under his command diverted the precious metals to hidden location. It has been alleged that the treasure was stored in a tunnel of an old mine and accompanied by their slaves. In the last trip it poisoned them and closed the entrance.

Gómez Rocha was finally exposed as the biggest culprit in the falsification of the silver currencies in Potosi mint and from several years the richest man in the city. He had enormous power had controlled the mining activity's across the region. However with that power comes powerful contenders to challenge his position. Patience of the Vice Royalty with him ran out as his crimes became more and more obvious. His corruption was to be made example of. The Vice Royalty tried to have him tried for corruption but there was no treasure cave found around Potosi.

The Vice Royalty was not the power base to mess with, however they soon in 1649 claimed he tried to poison a governor. He was tried and condemned to death and executed. He never ever revealed the hiding place of the treasure he embezzled.

In a letter of the viceroy from the Peru written to their king from Lima on April 2,1650, he affirm that: It is wells known that Captain Gomez Rocha had hidden great quantity of money, he didn't ever declare anything to interrogators.

This historical documented primary source, of one of the so many treasures hidden in Bolivia is in the General Archive of Indies (Seville) Section Lima, bundle 54.

Is that memory of these real events somehow entwined with the Plazuela story that lead General Mariano Melgarejo to search the area with a small army in the late 19th century? The story perhaps told by a priest to the Corina San Roman family became over time the story of Jesuit treasure as the legend we hear today?

I have spent more than one life time hunting down the original documents to treasure legends all over the world. Some have more truth and others are mere legends but all are interesting when trying to find the source of such stories. Treasure stories are here to intrigue us and that is what I find so fascinating. And perhaps its not the destination but the journey to get there is the real treasure.

Crow

 

[johnnyi]

Re: Incas's treasures

Hello Jonnyi

I think sanders with his 1928 expedition was under a lot of pressure to come up with the goods. In some of his research I have found some errors. Was that was due to fatigue because when Sanders Returned to England he was a very broken man? In the picture is the alleged cross that Sanders Found in the Tunnel.

I wonder if the site where you found the chain was related to some of the mines in the area nearby. There are thousands of abandoned mine sites all across Bolivia. Perhaps you found the remains of the old workings of the very rich Tres Tertillas or El Carmen mines which was in early operation since 1635.

I have no evidence of a large scale Jesuit Mission there. But perhaps Plazuela was no more than a mere outpost or an area used for processing minerals from the neighboring mines. Perhaps you could enlighten me on the scale of buildings around the church?

There is another story that is backed up by primary sources in Seville Spain. It has been said in ancient manuscripts that In 1648, captain Francisco Gomez Rocha was embezzling tons of precious metals in various sites across Bolivia. There was a claim that he buried near Potosi (Bolivia) a treasure of 170 tons. However this was never proven to be the exact site.

When Franisco Gomez Rocha discovered that his enterprise had been discovered, he with a small army of slaves under his command diverted the precious metals to hidden location. It has been alleged that the treasure was stored in a tunnel of an old mine and accompanied by their slaves. In the last trip it poisoned them and closed the entrance.

Gómez Rocha was finally exposed as the biggest culprit in the falsification of the silver currencies in Potosi mint and from several years the richest man in the city. He had enormous power had controlled the mining activity's across the region. However with that power comes powerful contenders to challenge his position. Patience of the Vice Royalty with him ran out as his crimes became more and more obvious. His corruption was to be made example of. The Vice Royalty tried to have him tried for corruption but there was no treasure cave found around Potosi.

The Vice Royalty was not the power base to mess with, however they soon in 1649 claimed he tried to poison a governor. He was tried and condemned to death and executed. He never ever revealed the hiding place of the treasure he embezzled.

In a letter of the viceroy from the Peru written to their king from Lima on April 2,1650, he affirm that: It is wells known that Captain Gomez Rocha had hidden great quantity of money, he didn't ever declare anything to interrogators.

This historical documented primary source, of one of the so many treasures hidden in Bolivia is in the General Archive of Indies (Seville) Section Lima, bundle 54.

Is that memory of these real events somehow entwined with the Plazuela story that lead General Mariano Melgarejo to search the area with a small army in the late 19th century? The story perhaps told by a priest to the Corina San Roman family became over time the story of Jesuit treasure as the legend we hear today?

I have spent more than one life time hunting down the original documents to treasure legends all over the world. Some have more truth and others are mere legends but all are interesting when trying to find the source of such stories. Treasure stories are here to intrigue us and that is what I find so fascinating. And perhaps its not the destination but the journey to get there is the real treasure.

Crow

Hi Crow. I just have a minute between wrapping gifts, but it is great reading the amount of research you have done. I'm sure Bud and you could compare some notes at some point. Briefly to answer your questions; I may have been unclear when describing Plazuela as a "Monestary". It was more of a very thick walled fortress built on the site of an Inca settlement. (I will try to [provide a few more pictures of it, but so much is obscured by cactus). If there were outbuildings, no trace of them are visible today.

As far as it being built as a mining location is concerned, no, I'm fairly sure it was not. There were, as still are small scale mining (panning) operations that take place in adjacent valleys but not where we were. In fact we were visited by a small group of Bolivian miners from such a valley who'd gotten word we were there. The evidence we've seen is that this was a very well suited collection site, and one where bronze was being melted down. Remember, Plazuela, remote though it is, is located on the meeting of three rivers; and even the fact that it's location was chosen by the moter cyclists crossing from Brazil attests to this being a preferred (yet tortuous) pass through the cordellera.

My biggest regret is that we lost use of my twin box when the mule went down in the river, as it would surely have produced more proofs of what this location was primarily used for. My second regret is my own fault, and that is that time constraints due to weather, as well as the wealth of Inca artifacts that littered the plateau and slope, made it seem more practical to search for these non-ferrous targets as well as larger iron, rather than for every bit of iron which might have told a more complete story as far as Spanish habitation was concerned. Other then the chains, our iron consisted of contemporary Spanish eating utensils and ox shoes. I'm sure much iron remains there. As well, the very deep deposits of soil washed down to the edge of the Plateau from the eroded Inca gardens on the steep slope have definately covered some of the potentially best ground for artifacts, Spanish or Inca.

 

[Crow]

Re: Incas's treasures

Hello Johnnyi

Thank you for your very interesting posts. Nothing beats getting information from somebody who has been there on the ground. You have given me a greater insight to what was there at the site. I had only hoped I had make it there myself. However Like you I think my chance is now gone to ever visit the site again as time moves on for all of us and I myself have other projects to pursue.

You insight into Bolivia has been very refreshing and I have enjoyed the memories of that far away exotic place. Thank you for your posts again and hope you have a merry Christmas and happy new year.

And I hope you post again next year on this topic as the history of treasure story is of great interest.

regards Crow

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Re: Incas's treasures

OK, OK, I have been showing wonderful patience for me, now get back on line and posting.


Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[Crow]

Re: Incas's treasures

Hello Real de Tayopa

Such as life my friend when just starts getting interesting the topic stalls....

But perhaps we can discuss the origins of the treasure legend?

Crow

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Re: Incas's treasures

Hola Crow , at your pleasure my friend. However be aware, I have no data on it, nor can I get any except por internet.

Don Jose de La Mancha

 

[Crow]

Re: Incas's treasures

Hola Don Jose

It can be a hard road to follow these treasure tales that torments me so......

As treasure legends go there is very little documentation in regards to this story..

I remember asking a Bolivian friend of mine. Why aren't more Bolivians searching for this treasure. He winked and smiled with a typical Andean half toothless grin stained with green Coca leaves " Its a gringo treasure"

But I suppose I am just a slow learner.

There is a book called Adventures in Bolivia by C. H Prodgers which tells of his 3 searches of the the Caballo Cunco Treasure around 1904. Which seems to be the source of the legend.

Crow

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Re: Incas's treasures

G E N T L E M E N Puleeze get going with the stories !

Don jose de La Mancha

 

[Crow]

Re: Incas's treasures

Hola Don Jose

C. H Prodgers story seems to first published about the treasure legend. There is alleged stories before that again. But what documentary evidence we have of it is small.

Sadly for Prodgers his Photographs were lost when his pack Animal was lost falling into a ravine.

The source of the story was through Dona San Roman Meza daughter of the former president of Peru Miguel de San Román Meza. She Showed Prodgers the original document left by a Prefect of Callao called father San Roman Meza a brother of Miguel de San Román Meza.

To this point in time there has been no documents found revealing the exact identity of this priest or brother of Miguel de San Román Meza.

Miguel de San Román Meza (May 17, 1802 in Puno, Peru – April 3, 1863 in Lima, Peru) was President of Peru for a brief period between 1862 and 1863.

In 1822 he served under Simón Bolívar and participated in the Battle of Ayacucho. From there on, San Román participated in various battles during the first years of the Peruvian republican period. He supported Agustín Gamarra until his defeat in the battle of Ingavi.

Despite this defeat, San Román was awarded the grade of Gran Mariscal. He occupied the post of "President of the Council of State" between 1845 and 1849. In 1855 he was named Minister of War under Ramón Castilla. In 1862 he was elected as the President of Peru.

Miguel de San Román introduced the Peruvian Sol currency in 1863 and adopted the decimal system for standard weight and measures.

He died a couple of months after assuming power in the Lima district Chorrillos.

The book " Miscelánea, ó Colección de artículos escogidos de costumbres, bibliografía ...
By José María Samper 1869 page 449. gives an account of the ex president.

The alleged document Prodgers held in his hand as he made his way back to Bolivia said only that the treasure was in a cave on Caballo Cunco, a "steep hill all covered with dense forest ... from where you can see the River Sacambaya on three sides."

On the flat crest of the hill would be "a large stone shaped like an egg," and underneath the stone would be the roof of a large cave "that took five hundred men two-and-one-half years to hollow out." Inside the cave, hidden in a maze of rooms, compartments, and hollows booby-trapped with "enough strong poison to kill a regiment," he would find $90,000 in silver money and sixty-seven "heaps of gold," not to mention many gold ornaments adorned with diamonds and other precious stones. The treasure's total value was said to be $60 million, the equivalent of about a billion dollars today.

Was Prodgers the victim of con or hoax?

Perhaps an improbable and untraceable of treasure legends.

Interesting all the same.

 

[Oroblanco]

Re: Incas's treasures

Bump