第68部分(第2/8 頁)

ham。　Also　I　told　him　the　strange　tale　of　a　certain　odd　gentleman　of　the　name　of　Carmichael；　now　I　believe　long　dead；　who　thought　that　he　had　discovered　the　secret　of　the　hidden　city　of　the　Aztecs；　that　lies　somewhere　at　the　back　of　Chiapas；　in　which　treasure　to　the　value　of　three　million　sterling　is　supposed　to　have　been　concealed　by　Montezuma　on　the　approach　of　the　Spaniards。27　Thinking；　from　the　documentary　evidence；　that　there　was　something　in　this　tale；　a　friend　and　I　furnished　Carmichael　with　a　moderate　sum　of　money　to　enable　him　to　locate　the　place。　He　set　out；　and　after　incredible　hardships　found　the　wrong　city；　or　the　wrong　part　of　the　right　city；　where　his　Indian　carriers　deserted　him；　leaving　him　suffering　from　fever　to　support　life　upon　catfish；　which　he　caught　with　a　bent　nail。　Ultimately　he　was　rescued　and　brought　back　to　civilisation。

26　This　was　the　sacred　treasure　held　by　Montezuma　as　High　Priest；　which　it　took　1500　men　to　carry　in　bars　of　gold。　It　must　not　be　mixed　up　with　the　private　royal　treasure　whereof　I　have　already　spoken；　that　was　buried　by　Guatemoc　—　also　to　save　it　from　the　Spaniards。　—　H。　R。　H。

Hays　Hammond　was　so　taken　with　this　exciting　narrative　that　he　determined　to　send　Burnham　to　look　for　the　Aztec　city；　and　telegraphed　to　him　to　e　from　San　Francisco　to　New　York　to　see　him。　Needless　to　say；　Burnham　was　quite　ready　for　the　adventure；　and　followed　me　to　England　to　get　particulars；　among　other　business。　Whilst　here　a　terrible　thing