FABLE V: THE LOST DIAMOND MINE
One summer during my college years I decided it was time to undertake an adventure I had given much thought to for
several years, searching for a legendary lost diamond mine in Peru. After first reading about the mine I had researched the
subject thoroughly. Most of the writers who wrote about it were skeptical of its existence, but I was certain it did exist and
could be found.
According to Inca legend the mine was located in the upper Amazon basin, deep in the Andes, and was accessible only
on foot through deep, almost impenetrable jungle. This didn’t deter me; I had often spent my summers carrying heavy packs
under difficult conditions.
I started on the Andes sojourn with a large pack containing clothing, medical supplies and a small inflatable raft. The raft
would be needed for river crossings and came equipped with a telescoping paddle which attached to the outside of my pack.
I didn’t need a tent as it was not the rainy season but I did bring a lightweight fly, which would provide adequate protection
from the rain, and a lightweight sleeping bag. I also had a small supply of food for emergency only s I expected to obtain
most of my food from the area I traveled in. Altogether, the pack weighed about 80 pounds.
Getting to the upper Amazon was relatively easy. A major airline flew to Lima, Peru; from there it was an easy task to fly
on a cargo plane to a small town about 80 kilometers from where my search was to begin. For the last stage of my flight I
hired a bush pilot to fly me and my gear to a clearing 15 kilometers from the search area. After making arrangements with
the pilot to pick me up a month later at the same clearing, I was on my own.
The jungle was thick with growth. Judging from the old map I was using I would have to hack my way for several
kilometers before reaching a small tributary of the Amazon. Vines hung from branches in all of the trees making it difficult to
keep my footing. I needed to use my machete to hack a pathway through this dense foliage. This is where my superior
conditioning paid off; I maintained a pace of two kilometers per hour and by late afternoon reached the tributary. I was then in
the general area where the lost mine was presumed to be.
During the night I was serenaded by the call of many jungle creatures. Howler monkeys screeched from the treetops
whenever any other animal approached their tree. A cheetah grunted and growled as it roamed close by but didn’t enter my
camp. From the river came the continuous sound of giant bullfrogs and the frequent splash of a large fish, or perhaps a
crocodile. I slept through most of it; the strenuous exertion from the day’s trek had prepared my body for sleep.
During the next several days I explored the countryside around my camp, quartering my explorations so that I as able to
search large pie-shaped segments of the area. Food was easily obtained; there were many root type vegetables, also a
type of bean that grew profusely on a vine near camp. Fish from the river were muddy in taste but better than the small, wild
pigs I trapped in a snare. The pigs were very fatty and had a strong, woody flavor, perhaps from the roots they ate.
After five days my explorations were unfruitful; I had found no signs of the land-marks I needed to help me locate the
diamond mine. I moved to an area 10 kilometers further up the river and set up another base camp. By this time I had come
to the conclusion that the map I was using was inaccurate, perhaps intentionally so. I had copied it from a map that
accompanied an article I read. It was apparent to me that something was missing from the map, or my perception of it. To
remedy this, when I began my new explorations I looked for high points to climb to so that I could scan a large area each day
and use information from those high points to plan my next day.
Three times in the next two weeks I moved my base camp to an area suggested by observations on my day trips, all to
no avail. I began to have serious doubts about the existence of the mine. Could I have been wrong in my judgment? I had
ten more days before I was expected to meet the airplane which would return me to civilization.
Then, quite by accident I made an astonishing discovery. The map I was using, perhaps in an attempt to disguise the
true picture, had been printed with directions oriented toward the south instead of the north. This put everything in a new
perspective; all my explorations had been oriented to the north. I sat in camp for several days conjuring up mental images of
where I had been and what I had seen each day. I could picture everything clearly but no image appeared to solve my
dilemma.
One point became clear; if I wished to continue my search I would need to meet the pilot t the pick-up spot and make new
arrangements. With this decision made I broke camp and plodded my way back to the pick-up point. Again, this involved
hacking my way through dense, vine-laden jungle, a trip that took three days to complete.
My new arrangements had the pilot take me to a different clearing and then pick me up there in two weeks time. This
new clearing was located bout ten kilometers on the other side of the tributary I had been exploring and was, I hoped, a better
base from which to continue my search. I decided that if I was not able to complete my quest in two weeks I would abandon
the search.
Next morning I set out from my new base with renewed hope. If my interpretation of the map was now correct I should be
within striking distance of the mine. Again I used my trusty machete to clear a pathway through the thick foliage. As before, I
quartered my search zone and used high points within each quadrant to scan the surrounding area.
On the third day I saw a ledge that looked familiar. I had read about such a ledge during my research. It was a north-
south escarpment about 500 meters long and 30 to 40 meters high. The characteristics of the ledge exactly matched what I
had read. The brow of the cliff was barren in the center; at each end was a copse of trees dominated by one tall tree. Exactly
what I had read in my research.
In the center of the cliff, at its very top, were two huge boulders, perched in such a way that it appeared a gentle push
would be enough to send them tumbling down the face of the cliff. These two boulders were the key to my search. I had
merely to climb the face of the cliff, a simple task for an experienced mountain man such as myself. From there, the correct
orientation would lead me directly to the mine. As it was now late afternoon I decided to forego the pleasure of a successful
conclusion to my quest until the next day. I could then return with the necessary rock climbing gear to make the ascent.
In the morning I arose with great anticipation about what the day would bring. There were no bounds to my enthusiasm.
Within an hour I had scaled the cliff and was picking my way between the boulders at the top. About 100 meters in front of
me I could see a small tarn glistening. This was another of the landmarks I had been searching for. When I reached this
jewel-like body of water I observed that at its head was a sheer cliff rising to a great height directly from the surface of the
water. My information was that the diamond mine was at the base of this cliff. To my consternation the base was at least ten
meters under water.
I had no diving equipment with me, which meant I would have to free dive. I had done this type of diving many times but
always with the knowledge that I would return to the surface in the same place I had started my dive. Such would not be the
case here. If there was an opening at the bottom of the cliff which led to the mine I would be surfacing behind the cliff face
and God only knew what I would encounter there.
It was a predicament. I had two options; either I attempted the dive and risked my life or I abandoned my quest and
returned home defeated. The word “defeat” had never been in my vocabulary before. Foolhardy as it may seem, I made the
decision to make the attempt or die trying.
Once the decision was made I tied one end of a long rope I had used for my rock climbing to a tree and the other end to
my ankle. This was a safety measure; if I got in trouble I could pull myself back to the outside by using the rope. Before
submerging I inhaled and exhaled several times, each time expanding my lungs to their fullest capacity.
When I felt I was ready I inhaled deeply one last time (Was it to be my last time, I wondered?) and dove straight down,
flashlight in hand.
Down I went, the pressure on my ears increasing as I descended. At the very bottom of the cliff a small opening
appeared. Was it large enough to admit my body? I had to find out. I worked my way into the opening, shining the flashlight
ahead of me as I did so. There were only inches to spare. Beyond the opening I saw a vertical shaft about twice the size of
the opening. The pressure on my lungs had become so great that I had to surface, one way or the other. Without hesitation I
pushed myself through the opening into the shaft and swiftly forced my way to the surface.
I was in a huge cavern, amply lit by small cracks and crevices in the wall that was the inside face of the cliff I had
encountered on the outside. The roof of the cavern was so high I was unable to see it. To my left and right the sides rose
almost perpendicularly to a height I could only guess at. About ten meters up the cliff face was an opening to the outside that
appeared to be large enough for me to use as an exit. I thanked God I would not have to return the way I had come; one time
was enough to squeeze through that tiny opening. One other point was abundantly clear, unless it was located near the top of
the cavern, beyond my line of sight; there was no diamond mine in there.
After untying the rope around my ankle and securing the end in a chink in the rock I climbed each of the walls as high as I
was able. I used my flashlight to examine each crack and crevice but could find no sign of diamonds. Was this the end?
Had I come on a wild goose chase? As the light was beginning to fade I abandoned my search for the day, to return the
following day for a more exhaustive search. After untying the end of the rope I climbed to the hole in the cliff face and edged
my way through to the outside. Directly below me was the little lake from which I had entered the cavern. It was a simple
matter to dive into the lake, retrieve my rope and swim across to where I had left the rest of my gear.
Two more days of extensive search inside the cavern convinced me there were no diamonds to be found there. Either
they were non-existent or my map reading was still inaccurate. I had a week left in which to complete my quest, successful or
not.
As I lay in bed that third night, something in the back of my mind began intruding into my thoughts. There was a piece
missing that I needed to recall; something I had read. If only I could remember what it was. Then, with a sudden flash,
everything became clear. The directions I had been following said that the mine was at the bottom of the cliff. I had been
searching in the cavern, which was a considerable height above the bottom.
This presented me with another dilemma. How was I to search at the bottom of the cliff without diving equipment? To
find an answer to this question I spent a day making free dives to the bottom of the cliff, staying down a maximum of two
minutes before my bursting lungs informed me I needed to ascend. In between descents I rested a minimum of ten minutes
getting my breathing and body temperature both back to normal. These rest periods gave me the opportunity to make notes
on what I had seen and done during the dives. These notes convinced me there was little I could do without diving gear.
When I reached this conclusion I decided to spend one more day getting samples from the base of the cliff and then
return to civilization to have the samples analyzed. I returned to the little tarn the next day with several small sacks and a
small hammer and chisel to use in obtaining the samples. In six dives, which extended over a period of almost two hours, I
retrieved three sacks of ore, the best I could do under the circumstances.
As I was about to return to camp I heard a deep rumbling sound. I turned toward the source of the sound and became
mesmerized. The entire cliff wall in front of me had started to collapse and was sliding down into the lake. As I watched the
wall disintegrated and tumbled into the water, leaving a huge opening where the cliff face had been. This caused a small
tidal wave as the water from the lake overflowed into a ravine at its foot. When everything settled the lake was almost non-
existent and the cavern which I had explored several days previously was now open and exposed. What had caused the
slide I could only guess at; perhaps my tinkering, both on the wall and at its base had caused the collapse. In any event, the
diamond source, if it ever existed, was now ten meters or more beneath the pile of rubble caused by the slide.
I returned to civilization chagrined by this turn of fate. Close examination of the ore samples turned up no sign of
diamonds. It was, however, an ore very rich in gold.