"el dorado" The Chibchas practiced the rite which most decisively influenced the Spanish expeditions, and which drew Belalcazar to the Andean plain: the ceremony of El Dorado. This event took place on a specific day of the year on the sacred lake of Guatavita, situated at the highest point of the eastern mountain range which dominates the plain of Bogotá. The Indian chief, after anointing his body with aromatic oils, sprinkled himself with gold powder, which adhered to his skin and thus transformed him into a living statue of gold. Magnificently adorned, and accompanied by the principal men of his tribe, he embarked on a raft made of rushes. When the sun started to appear over the horizon, the chief dove into the water while at the same time the priests threw religious offerings into the lake. These offerings consisted of golden objects, ceramics, weaving spindles, jewelry, and various products of their harvests. From the shores of the lake great clouds of incense were visible. As the chief emerged from the water, the gold washed from his skin, the silence was broken by the sound of music coming from flutes, drums, and clay whistles, while the smoke from bonfires ascended slowly, enveloping the multitude with the fragrance of its resins.