The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1870-02-09
A story of Buried Treasures.


man whom we will call Black, was engaged IN
business at Bagdad-a mushroom town situated
at he mouth of the Rio Grande River Times
were very brisk many ships went there to carry
away the cotton which came overland through
Texas. Frequently two hundred sail OF vessels
lay off the bar Human beings were there In
great nnmbers-dwellings were scarce.
In the winter of 1864. stranger, apparently
past sixty years old, called at Mr.. Blacks store
aud inquired where he could procure sleeping
accommodations He had been all through the
town in search of lodgings, and could find none,
though, as he stated, he was not destitute OF
means to pay his expenses. He said that his
health was not good, and he was anxious to hnd
shelter. Being a kind-hearted gentleman, and
knowing the state of affairs in Bagdad, and act
uated by sympathy for fellow being IN distress,
Mr.. Black told the stranger that he could occupy
little loft over his Office until he could find
better accommodations. The stranger furnished
himself ;=ith the necessary bedding, and from
time to time expressed his gratitude to Mr.. Black
for his kindness in furnishing him shelter,
which he found very comfortable.
Alter few days, the poor mans health Jailed
visibly, and he was unable to leave his quarters.
Good Samaritan that he was. Mr.. Black did not
abandon him in this extremity. He called in
physician, who plainly stated that the man had
not long to live-that his days were numbered.
Fortunately being bachelor, Mr. Black had the
poor fellow removed TO his house, and placed
him in his own bed where, though cared for in
the kindest manner. he fingered for few weeks,
and then passed away to the Poremah-the
land Of the Hereafter"
In gratitude for the many disinterested kind
nesses bestowed upOn him,-for his store OF
money hardly suficed to see him decently buried,
the stranger, then lying upon what be felt
would be his death-bed. called Mr.. Black to his
side, and made to him the following statement
" In the year 1923, joined, at the Havana a
free trader then cruising about the Atlantic and
upon the Spanish Main. | was mate OF the
sctooner-a very fast, Baltimore built, clipper
From 1923 to 1928, we preyed upon the Spanish
Coonists, who. during that period. were fleeing
from the aggressions of Old Spain. Many hun
dreds of rich families fed with their treasures
Jewels bars of gold and silver, doubloons and
dollars. Our schooner captured many OF the
vessels in which these Colonists were escaping
and we sez d their treasures but in no case dld
we take life unless we were resisted, and ther
only in fair open battle During these five year:
we gained immense wealth-indeed, millions
which we buried upon a certain sand Kay in the
Carribean Sea, the only spot in that locality
where there was a harbor for our vessel, ano
where. from time to time, we went to bury ou
treasure, and to enjoy ourselves. AT future
day we intended to divide our spoils, separate
and each go his own way. Upon one occasion
we saw a vessel which we supposed to be 1
Spanish frgate, and fearing capture, we LANDED
upon an island about 300 miles distant from ou
general rendezvous, and buried six boxes, eacl
containing 5000 Spanish doubloons in all
10000 doubloons. Under cover of night we es
capped With this exception our treasures wer'
all buried upon the sand Kay first mentioned.
Finally in the year 1923, our schooner wa
attacked and sunk by a Spanish frigate- just a
we were leaving our rendezvous. l have ever.
reason to believe that Of all the ships company
: ] was the only person who escaped death. eithe
by drowning or being hanged ! swan ashor
, and hid myself upon the island whence, ate
many privations escaped to the main land il
an old boat which had Aoated ashore. | went t
1 India. and knocked about there for thirty year;
until supposed that time had efiaced all reeo
t lection of myself and these transactions fror
: the memory Of man. | an here, now. on m
!. way to recover the treasure, but find that al
called elsewhere"
The stranger then communicated to MIR. Bac
!. the minutest particulars how to reach the exaf
4 SPOT where the treasures are bured-lstltuce an
: longitude. and every memoranda essential-all
n which Nj. Black noted in the most careful an
particular manner
In the fall of 1866 having closed up his affair
I, at Bagdad, and established himself In business
IS IS New Orleans, Mr.. Black communicated to Sc
eral of his friends the foregoing particulars The
P were all persons Of limited means, who, havlr
u espoused the cause of the South during the
bellion. had become reduced in circumstance
: But they fitted out an expedition. for which tht
chartered the schooner Electric Spark vess
which judging by her name, should have been
\, very fast sailer, but instead of being clippe
she turned out to be a regular old tub, an
:. like the Mary Dunn. of Dover" sagged aw'
two. knots to leeward for every mile she made
windward
Sailing FROM New Orleans about the middle
February. 1867, they did not reach the Belize,
C. BrItish Honduras until early in March. Eve
person residing in Honduras. or in the viclni
= of the Caribbean Sea, is deeply imbued with q
impression that vast treasures have been burr
on the islands fringing the coast. by freebooter
: As many efforts have been made to recover I'll
money as have been made to find the wealth {
ereted by the pirate Kidd. Every stranger vi
goes there is supposed to be after the burr
money. and be Immediately becomes an object
ve sns;;icion and his every movement Is careful
watched. In this respect, the party Of the Ell
- tric Spark WAS no exception TO the general m
They we're interviewed by the Governor, W
proposed to furnish them laborers. and eve
facility. in case they would trsnsfer their rigf
]. to the British Crown but. II case, he wou
:. be obliged to take all discoveled treasure
assured them, there was no doubt that
= Government would deal with them most libera
+ in the division Of the money, but 10 what pl
portion he could not say.