Page 9 - HOH

a8 local
Saturday 25 November 2023

The Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins and its history

(Oranjestad)—The Bushiri- literally struck gold, and and carve out gold from
bana Gold Mill Ruins is one as word got out, a gold the rocks. Aruba Island
of the most visited places fever spread among the Gold Mining Company Ltd.
by tourists on the island, locals who started search- was no different, but used
as it lies along the north- ing for more gold. About 25 a unique method that in-
ern coast line near the mini pounds worth was found. volved grinding the rocks
pool and on the way to the and letting the dust be
Natural Bridge. Despite its At the same time, the Aru- blown away by the strong
seemingly plain appear- ban government took im- northeast wind, leaving
ance, this ruin represents mediate actions, and in- clumps of gold behind. The
one of the most important formed Curacao that gold next step was melting the
histories of the island: The was found. At first, every- gold and letting it attach
Aruban Gold Rush. one could look for gold, to quicksilver in order to
as long as they sold it to obtain pure gold. All these
Built in 1872 by English com- the government. However, processes were done at
pany Aruba Island Gold after some time, the gov- the Bushiribana Gold Mill.
Mining Company Ltd, the India Company. Under the ernment decided to im-
gold mill at Bushiribana leadership of Mr. Paulus It wasn’t until 100 years lat- plement stricter rules and The gold mill itself had a
was constructed in the Printz, a three-year search er, in 1824, when a young banned local search par- short life-span: only 10 years
area where most gold was was conducted on Aruba, boy found a lump of gold ties. in service, but its structure
found by locals. The story to no avail. Though they while out herding his fa- remained relatively solid till
of gold on Aruba actually found some gold, it was ther’s sheep. His father took Over the years, concession- this day, and is now a his-
dates back to 1725, when enough to motivate a fur- it to a local merchant who holding had seen different torical remnant.q
a first exploration for gold ther search, and the assign- then sold the lump for $70. companies from around
on the island was commis- ment was discontinued by Unbeknownst to the boy the world, all of which used Sources: Etnia Nativa & gold-
sioned by the Dutch West Printz himself. and his father, they quite primitive methods to dig mineranch.com.

Aruban legends: Frenchman’s Pass

(Oranjestad)—If you ever arms, the indigenous set-
plan on taking a group tlers began to retreat, and Sometime after trying to
tour of the island, you may hid away in nearby caves. hitchhike, the man saw a
pass through the French- The French colonizers tried car approaching, appear-
man’s Pass in Balashi. The to smoke them out of the ing almost ghost-like in the
Frenchman’s pass (known caves, but the indigenous rain. However, since he For the next few turns, the hitchhiker. He called out to
to locals as “Franse Pas”) settlers ended up inhal- needed a ride real bad, hand appeared again. Af- his buddy and said: “Look,
remains a mysterious—and ing too much smoke and he didn’t think twice and ter having had enough, the there’s the idiot who sat
spooky—road of which its most died in those caves. jumped in. But to his horror, man decided to jump out in our car when we were
legend is told from genera- From then on, this passage he noticed that the there and he ran to Santa Cruz. pushing it!”
tion to generation. was known as Frenchman’s was no driver in the front.
Pass, and there have been Paralyzed with fear, he Arriving at a nearby bar, he French man’s pass is one
The history of the French- many accounts of spirits didn’t dare to get out, and ordered a drink and began of the few sites on the is-
man’s pass—and how it got roaming the area of Span- the car started to move. to tell everyone about his land that keeps the locals
its name—dates back to ish Lagoon. experience. Everyone grew on their toes. While most
the colonization era, when When approaching a quiet, because they real- ghost stories may not have
the French tried to colo- There are many ghost sto- sharp turn, the hitch hiker ized he wasn’t some drunk real grounds—or some may
nize the island, but were ries surrounding this area, braced for impact, but just messing around; he was even be a set up story for a
met with an angry mob of but one of the most famous when he though the car telling the truth. joke, this pass contributes a
indigenous settlers, refusing one involves a lonely hitch- might drive straight off the lot to our culture of folkloric
to give up their land. How- hiker, trying to find a ride road and crash, he saw a Sometime later, two men story-telling.
ever, as the French were back home in the dark hand appear out the win- walked into the bar and
heavily equipped with fire rainy night. dow and turn the wheel. one of them noticed the Source: visitaruba.com