to answer intelligently, promising a reward of several knives. The
savage exchanged a rapid glance with his fellows, and then he and they
stood up as stiff and mute as the trees. Marcoy then asked him if he
had never heard his father or his grandfather speak of the great city
of San Gavan, built hereabouts formerly by the Spanish chevaliers, and
which the Caranga and Suchimani Indians from the Inambari River had
destroyed by fire.

The evident recognition of this legend by the savages, and their
rapid exchange among themselves of the words _sacapa huayris Ipaños_,
induced Marcoy to ask if they could guide them to the site of the
former city. They answered that a day's march would be sufficient, and
pointed with their arms in the direction of north-north-west.

The temptation to see the place whose golden renown, after having made
the tour of the American continent, had reached Spain and the world at
large, was too strong to be resisted. Colonel Perez, besides the magic
attraction which the mention of gold had for him, felt his national
pride touched by the idea of a place where his compatriots had added
such magnificence to the Spanish name, and gained so many ingots of
gold by paddling in the streams. The cascarilleros were delighted to
extend their journey, in hopes of yet larger discoveries. As for the
porters, since the manifestations of the savages they clung to the
party with as much anxiety as they had ever shown to escape from it.

In 1767 the city of San Gavan, remaining intact amid the ruin of all
its neighbors, was the sole disburser of the riches of the Caravaya
Valley. The gold-dust, collected throughout the whole territory on a
government monopoly, was brought thither upon the backs of Indians,
melted into ingots, and distributed to Lima and the world at large.