The Republican journal., 1869-12-23
Correspondence of the y. V Sun.
AN IMMENSE DEPOSIT OF SILVER EOlINn

Your readers will remember the story con-
corning $4,000, 900 in silver buried on Cocos
tlsand, which was started in San Francisco
ten years ago, and has probably been publish
ed IN every country newspaper in the United
States Ihetale was that a doctor at San Fran
cisco was one night called to the bedside of a
SICK and poverty stricken sailor. The doctor
watched over him carefully and made and
paid for all his own prescriptions In spite Of
all his precautions the sailor grew worse, and
al last the doctor told him he must die. The
man was deeply affected and wept bitterly
Death came over him slowly but surely.
On his dying bed, with tears in his ewes.
he thanked thu, doctor for all his Kindness and
said that he could and would repay him for
All his trouble. In a few short breaths he told
him that in his younger days he had been u
pirate. Withtwenty companions he had ship
ped at Callao on a Spanish treasure ship bound
To Cadiz Wen five days out they rose and
butchered the officers and passengers, after
which the course OF the vessel was changed
due west Three weeks afterward, during a
drunken carousal, the ship ran upon a reef Of
rocks fringing an Island in the Pacific, and
before morning eight of the buccaneers were
drowned. At the break of day they reached
the shore in boats, and found the island fer
tile and pleasant.
After three days hard work, they broughtthe
Kegs of silver dollars to the shore, and buried
them, The treasure amounted to overSlO,-
ooo.Vo AS water was scarce, and the provi-
sions on the wreck were totally damaged, the
twelve pirates took to their boats, and steered
lor the coast OF South America Nothing was
ever heard from one OF the boats, and It was
probably swamped in great storm which ot,-
The provisions in the other boat soon gave
out, and the men gradually became delirious
for want of sustenance. Two jumped over
board and were drowned. One of their COM
panions died in the boat, and fourth was kill
ed by his comrades who drank his blood After
drifting under a burning sun for two weeks,
the survivors were picked up by a passing g
vessel.
One of them died ON the following day, and
the other lived to tell his story to hundreds of
mcredulous listeners, and to seek in vain for
means to return to the island. He was now
about to end life of disappointment in death.
AT the conclusion OF his story the dying sailor
drew from under his bolster roll of papers
giving the latitude and longitude OF the island
AS near as possible, and handed them to the
doctor, but before the physician could examine
them the Old sailor died. The mutiny occur
red Just during the Peruvian revolution
against Spain, and the sailor died in San
Francisco some thirteen years ago, A care
full study Of the chart located the island in the
vicinity of Cocos. The doctor embarked in
the scheme with all his wealth, rugged out a
schooner, and sailed from San Francisco in
search of the Ell Dorado. He returned a ruin-
ed man, unable to discover the island Other
expeditions were fitted out, but none were
successful.
In July, 1868, several gentlemen in this
citEbought schooner and fitted out an expe-
dtion. There were twenty six persons in the