During this interval we had fairly unearthed
an oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and
wonderful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing
process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury. This box was
three feet and a half long, three feet broad, and two and a half
feet deep. It was firmly secured by bands of wrought iron,
riveted, and forming a kind of open trelliswork over the whole. On
each side of the chest, near the top, were three rings of iron--six
in all--by means of which a firm hold could be obtained by six
persons. Our utmost united endeavors served only to disturb the
coffer very slightly in its bed. We at once saw the impossibility
of removing so great a weight. Luckily, the sole fastenings of the
lid consisted of two sliding bolts. These we drew back--trembling
and panting with anxiety. In an instant, a treasure of
incalculable value lay gleaming before us. As the rays of the
lanterns fell within the pit, there flashed upward a glow and a
glare, from a confused heap of gold and of jewels, that absolutely
dazzled our eyes.
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