Mikeysgold
Tenderfoot
- #1
Thread Owner
I am new to this thread so hello everyone and I appreciate all the contributions from everyone.
My two cents worth here...
First I want to say that I do believe in the Peg Leg Gold. Every legend has some basis in fact. The reality though is with time, stories become misinterpreted, misunderstood, twisted and sometimes darkened... So, it is what it is.
How many times has someone said turn left when you know they meant to say turn right? East when they meant west.
Also, when you are tired, thirsty and lost, the desert can mess with your mind. Panic can set in and impair your judgment. Peg leg may not have been where he thought he was before the sandstorm. He could have just as easily veered south (of the trail, instead of north of the trail) of where he thought he was either before of after the storm. Experienced pilots have gone through thick fog and thinking they were ascending when actually they were descending.
When I was 15 and deer hunting with my dad out of Wilson Arizona in the winter with snow everywhere and no sun. I can tell you in an instant, I became separated from my dad and got lost to where I couldn't tell north from south and was lost for several hours. I have seen sand storms block out the sun and visibility becomes zero.
My experience is that if you don't know where you are, it is difficult at best to know where you are going. Peg Leg could have gone north towards the Salton or south of Carrizo into Mexico.
Another thought... Its one thing to know there is $1 million worth gold dust in a large mound of dirt, but quite another thing to see an actual 1 ounce solid gold nugget. That can also mess with your mind. When peg Leg found out years later that he discovered a treasure, he may have gone slightly insane of the thought of struggling all those prior years with a nice treasure right in his pocket. That may have altered his memory of the location.
Back to my theory on the Black Nuggets...
The Peg Leg gold is part of what the Spanish called "Cibola"... the Legendary 7 cities of gold in Mexico (at the time of the discovery of Cibola and hundreds of years ago, the area which is now southern California was once part of Mexico). After the Spanish discovery of Cibola and before the subsequent expedition to recover the gold from Cibola, the Indians realized the Spaniards where only interested in plundering the sacred Indian land and decided at all cost to prevent the Spaniards (and all whites) from ever getting the gold. The gold was gathered from the rivers and streams and then they camouflage the gold by coating with magnetite. The gold was then moved to several and unknown locations (possibly even locations where gold is not possibly native, or locations experienced prospectors would obviously not look ) where it would seem to blend or not stand out yet close enough to Indian villages that some could be gathered to trade with when necessary.
This would explain why the nuggets are rounded (from river movement) compared to the surrounding rocks.
Once news of the 1949 gold discoveries in California spread, the Indians buried much of the gold to keep it out of the hands of the greedy whites (no offense meant here as I am white). This would partially explain why Peg Leg himself could never relocate the gold.
Another important point to consider... The US Government was likely aware of the Legend and may have removed whatever gold remained after creating the Carizzo bombing range (and other bombing ranges).
Mikey
My two cents worth here...
First I want to say that I do believe in the Peg Leg Gold. Every legend has some basis in fact. The reality though is with time, stories become misinterpreted, misunderstood, twisted and sometimes darkened... So, it is what it is.
How many times has someone said turn left when you know they meant to say turn right? East when they meant west.
Also, when you are tired, thirsty and lost, the desert can mess with your mind. Panic can set in and impair your judgment. Peg leg may not have been where he thought he was before the sandstorm. He could have just as easily veered south (of the trail, instead of north of the trail) of where he thought he was either before of after the storm. Experienced pilots have gone through thick fog and thinking they were ascending when actually they were descending.
When I was 15 and deer hunting with my dad out of Wilson Arizona in the winter with snow everywhere and no sun. I can tell you in an instant, I became separated from my dad and got lost to where I couldn't tell north from south and was lost for several hours. I have seen sand storms block out the sun and visibility becomes zero.
My experience is that if you don't know where you are, it is difficult at best to know where you are going. Peg Leg could have gone north towards the Salton or south of Carrizo into Mexico.
Another thought... Its one thing to know there is $1 million worth gold dust in a large mound of dirt, but quite another thing to see an actual 1 ounce solid gold nugget. That can also mess with your mind. When peg Leg found out years later that he discovered a treasure, he may have gone slightly insane of the thought of struggling all those prior years with a nice treasure right in his pocket. That may have altered his memory of the location.
Back to my theory on the Black Nuggets...
The Peg Leg gold is part of what the Spanish called "Cibola"... the Legendary 7 cities of gold in Mexico (at the time of the discovery of Cibola and hundreds of years ago, the area which is now southern California was once part of Mexico). After the Spanish discovery of Cibola and before the subsequent expedition to recover the gold from Cibola, the Indians realized the Spaniards where only interested in plundering the sacred Indian land and decided at all cost to prevent the Spaniards (and all whites) from ever getting the gold. The gold was gathered from the rivers and streams and then they camouflage the gold by coating with magnetite. The gold was then moved to several and unknown locations (possibly even locations where gold is not possibly native, or locations experienced prospectors would obviously not look ) where it would seem to blend or not stand out yet close enough to Indian villages that some could be gathered to trade with when necessary.
This would explain why the nuggets are rounded (from river movement) compared to the surrounding rocks.
Once news of the 1949 gold discoveries in California spread, the Indians buried much of the gold to keep it out of the hands of the greedy whites (no offense meant here as I am white). This would partially explain why Peg Leg himself could never relocate the gold.
Another important point to consider... The US Government was likely aware of the Legend and may have removed whatever gold remained after creating the Carizzo bombing range (and other bombing ranges).
Mikey
