Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-06-14
A Romantic Story of Buried Treas
ure ON an Island I'm the South


A San Francisco paper, noticing the for
nation in that city of the .sSouth Pacific
Protecting Company" (Which is reported
TO be the sixteenth attempt made for the
same purpose,) gives the following ro-
mantle history of the buried treasure which
this company seeks to recover: q--.. ~
:. The stated object of the company is to
recover buried treasure in Cocos Island
that is, to attempt to recover, provided the
treasure is there. In "a or '55 a company
with the same object In view was gotten up
at the same place. Stock in the golden ven
ture was literally bought and literally sold,
as probably many in Marysville will recol
lect, and the schooner Julius Pringle, well
manned and proyisioned, sailed away, and
with fair wind made straight wake for
the Pirates Isle. Some time afterward she
breturned---with cargo of lumber. Itap-
peared that an exceeding strong current
was found running round the island, SO
strong that landing could not be effected.
20 In fact there is but one place there where
boat can land, and the adventures failed
to discover its whereabouts; and so, after
consuming nearly all their provisions, they
headed back for San Francisco, stopping at
a place on the coast for a cargo. Another
attempt was made five or six years after,
with what result we have forgotten. The
history connected with the treasure is as
follows: A great many years ago the Pa
Icific Ocean was infested with buccaneers,
&the majority of them coming from Spain.
One of them named Lollonais, rendered
himself most no orious by his piracies at
sea, and his murders and robberies on land.
After him came Henry Morgan, Scotch
man, who by his bloOdthirstiness and dar-
ling recklessness, threw into the shade all
the acts of his predecessors, the Spaniards.
He landed at and pillaged all the principal
towns on the South American coast, al
ways torturing the inhabitants in the
most inhuman manner, in order to COM
pel them TO confess where they had hidden
r their money and Jewels Twice he landed
at Panama, and by horrid cruelty forced
from the people great portion OF their
wealth. It was after one or these 'raids"
that Morgan with his feet OF twenty three
vessels went to the Island of Taboga, a
short distace from Panama, to have a
grand carousal. Here some of the crew
mutinied, and seizing one of the best ships,
went on an independent cruise, during
which they fell in with Spanish galleon
bound from a Mexican or Chillian port to
belonging to the church OF the value OF
$20,000,0O0. After transferring the booty
to their own ship, they scuttled and sunk
the other, first tputting to death all on board
with the exception of two boys. Next a
man of war hove in sight, gave chase and
the pirate steered for Cocos Island {distant
from Panama 1000 miles, more or less, in a
westerly direction), where they hastily
lowered the boats to carry the treasure on
Shore, Two boat loads were safely landed
and quickly buried, while the third boat
was swamped, and its load (Which was
but small portion of the whole) went to
the bottom, where it could very plainly be
seen through the clear water.
ALI hands were soon again on board, ano
all sail made upon the ship. But they were
overhauled before night and all slain but
the two boys, who were again spared
They were carried to Spain, where they
lived and died. One of them had several
times attempted to influence some wealthy
men sufficiently to induce search for the
treasure, but none would believe his story
and on his death-bed he solemnly assured
some friends that the account he had given
was true. At the northeast end of the
island (en the southwest, or some Other
t.,part9, is the only. spot where landing car
be made, and shat through tolerably
heavy surf. On the beach is natural
basin formed in a rock by the constant
- dripping of water (drinkable and pure as
! crystal) for so many years. As the pirates
were in a great hurry, they couldn't have
buried the golden onzas and church orna-
ments very deep-but then what change;
may have taken place there within hun
dred yearsl The spot may now be over.
grown with thick, tangled brushwood, ant
but who can say the freebooters' treasure
has not been n removed long ago?