Hello Markmar
There is no evidence to support the story of the two British saliors. Even Mark Honigsbaum in all his research to his credit he at least made an attempt.Found no evidence to prove conclusively that Barth blake and George Edwin Chapman ever existed?
I good friend of mine did some indepth research in the archives shipping indexs crew lists, British and American census, crew agreements, Captain licences registers Royal navy records. shipping records. immigration records, outward bound passenger lists. shipping indexes etc.... The list goes on. My friend is no slouch in these matters as he has many contacts in archives and librarie all over the worlds. As far he is concerned there is just no evidence to support the story of the British sailors.
However I do believe Don Atanasio Guzman may of been met in 1801 by Alexandre de Humboldt. Guzman was a botanist and it seems he was dead by 1808 There is evidence that the earlier map was possibly looked at by Humbolt in 1801? The deterreo Richard Spruce Found was dated 14th of march 1827. Guzman was long dead by then. The original map was made before possibly 1801. Don Atanasio Guzman was a botanist. One of his books survives on Botany in Quito. Guzman could well have read the Historia General de los Castellanos en las islas i tierra written by Antonino de Herrera Tordesillas 1830 book that gave him the imspiration to search for treasure during his own botanical expeditions. Richard Spruces had Gumans map copied in 1860 was sent to the to the geograpical society and its thier 1867 printed copy most people see today.
The deterreo dated 1827 clearly cound not have been written by Guzman at all. But agree the deterreo could of used the Guzman map as reference?
Anyway I suggest you hunt down the copy of ..........
Relation historique du voyage aux régions équinoxiales du nouveau co ... Alexander von Humboldt
Relation historique du voyage aux régions équinoxiales du nouveau continent. fait en 1799, 1800,1801,1802,1803, et 1804 Alexander de Humbolt written by A Bonpland 1900.
Good luck with your search
Crow