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This book traces the origin of the legend of El Dorado and the various expeditions that set out to locate that mysterious land of untold wealth in South America. Motivated by both fanciful rumors of a golden city ruled by a man who coated himself daily with gold dust, and the more practical allure of a region abundant in cinnamon trees (a spice that was worth its weight in gold to Europeans), many conquistadors convinced themselves that another native empire awaited their conquest. These quests for fortune and glory would lead to an encounter with fierce female warriors who were believed to be the Amazons of ancient Greek lore, and the discovery of the mighty river later named for the legendary Amazon tribe.
The first half of this book details the lesser-known accounts of German interest in locating the wealth of a golden kingdom called Xerira and an elusive passage at Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo which supposedly led to the Pacific Ocean. The second section focuses on the various Spanish efforts to discover El Dorado, each of which was eventually doomed to despair, disappointment, and death.
List of contents
Table of ContentsIntroduction
The Germans of Venezuela
The Conquistadors of Quito
The Fortune Seekers of Santa Marta
Into the Golden Realm of the Chibcha
Unexpected Encounters
A Well Organized Expedition
Lost in a Lost World
An Altered Course
The Great River
An Interminable Wait
Into the Realm of Machiparo
The Amazons
Homeward Bound
The Final Voyage
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the author
After a long career in the banking industry, Peter O. Koch now runs a small online business. The author of several books, his research interests include American Indian cultures and the New World expeditions of the Spaniards. He lives in Bradenton, Florida.
Summary
Traces the origin of the legend of El Dorado and the various expeditions that set out to locate the mysterious land of untold wealth. The first half of the book details the lesser-known accounts of German interest in locating the wealth of the golden kingdom. The second section focuses on the various Spanish efforts to discover El Dorado.
