Untitled - The Alfred Russel Wallace Website

HIDDEN TREASURE 493
I ascertained also that the botanist above alluded
to was a Don Atanasio Guzman, who resided some
time in the town of Pillaro, whence he headed
many expeditions in quest of the gold
of Llan-
ganati. He made also a map of the Llanganatis,
which was supposed to be still in existence. Guzman
and his companions, although they found no deposit
of gold, came on the mouths of several silver and
copper mines, which had been worked in the time
of the Incas, and ascertained the existence of other
metals and minerals. They began
to work the
mines at first with ardour, which soon, however,
cooled down, partly in consequence
of intestine
quarrels, but chiefly because they became disgusted
with that slow mode of acquiring wealth when there
was molten gold supposed to be hidden close by ;
so the mines were at length all abandoned. This
is said to have taken place early in the present
century, but the exact date I can ascertain. Guzman is
by no means
reported to have met with
Humbolclt, and to have shown his drawings of
plants and animals to that prince of travellers. He
died about 1806 or 1808, in the valley of Leytu,
about four leagues eastward of Ambato, at a small
farmhouse called now Leytillo, but marked on his
map San Antonio. He was a somnambulist, and
having one night walked out of the house while
asleep, he fell clown a steep place and so perished.
This is all I have been able to learn, and I fear no
documents now exist which can throw any further
light on the story of his life, though
a botanical
manuscript of his is believed to be still preserved in
one of the archives of Quito. I made unceasing
inquiries for the map, and at length ascertained