Trujillo, became so attached to the cacique that he became godfather to two of the cacique's children.
"The
cacique took him one day to a cave among the ruins of the ancient city
and showed him an immense "wealth of idols and other articles of gold.
In the centre of the room was a table of silver, upon which was a model
of a fish, the body of gold and the eyes formed by two splendid
emeralds.
"The Spaniard was stupefied at the sight and the cacique said: 'This is all yours. To-day I give you the Teche Chico or
Little Fish. If you fulfil the vows you have made to me to devote
one-fourth to the Church and look after the poor, I will one day take
you to the Peche Grande, or Big Fish.'
"The amount realised on the Peche Chico must
have been enormous, because the fifth which went to the Royal Treasury
of Spain, according to the old records, was 85,000 castellanos of gold.
The young Spaniard went to Lima and in a few years dissipated his
wealth in luxurious living. He returned to the old cacique for the Peche Grande, but
met with stern refusal for not having kept his vow. Many efforts have
been made, and seven syndicates have been formed, to explore the
ruins, but with no
result."
Daily Telegraph, April 22nd, 1938.
