The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1871-07-05
THE FlsHERMANs TREASURE.

dl Lavoro, on the Gracio Gulf
within the kingdom of Naples
lived an old fisherman named An
tonic Morino. lie was called 8
fisherman, because, in his young
or days, he had pursued that oc
cupatiop for livelihood and be-
cause, at the present time, he own,
cd boats, and frequently joined
the toilers upon the Gulf in their
piscatorial cruisings. At the age
of five and twenty he had left his
native land for a voyage to India,
having promise of much better
pay than he could possibly make
at fishing. The ship in which he
sailed from Naples ncver returns
ed, and Antonio Morino was. given
mp for lost, and. almost forgotten.
At the expiration Of fifteen years,
however, he made his appearance
i'll the hamlet, and was warmly
welcomed by his old friends. He
told how his ship was cast away in
the Indian Ocean, and all hands
lost save himself.
At the age of forty Antonio set
tied down in his own home, and
took q wife; and in time son was
born him, whom he called Leon
ardo. He bought boats, and spent
q portion Of his time in fishing !;
but he evidently did this only for
pastime; for lie never sold any of
his fish, but gave to his poorer
neighbors what he did not con-
sumo in his own family. He made
no show of money, and yet he al
ways had it when it was needed.
His companions were curious, and
sought to fathom his secret, but
without avail. Morino seemed to
have but one grand aim of life /;
and that was, to rear his son 70 a
station of honor and independ"
ence.
Now the story of Antonio Mo.
rino's absence from Italy was this /:
His ship had been cast away upon
the coast of Ceylon, and such of
the crew as had not been drown.
ed, with tho exception of himself,
had been killed by the natives
Antonio had saved his fishing ap.
paratus, the peculiarities of which
interested the savages and they
spared him in order that he might
show them how to use it. From
the material obtained from tie
wreck he made lines, hooks and
nets, and in time came to be fa-
xoritc in the village, and was al
lowed much liberty. One day,
while out in his boat alone, en-
gagged in fishing for the chief, he
found a deep, rock bonnd inlet
which he had never before seen,
and where he was sure the natives
were not in the habit of stopping.
In this bay he fisbed up several
large oysters, the shells of Which,
he recognized to be such as furn-
ished motbcr.of pearl. He open
cd them, and found pearls! He
kept tho secret to himself, and
when he had opportunity he went
out and fished for these valuable
oysters; and in three years time
he had accumulated a large store,
many of which were of extraordin.
ary size and beauty. BY and by,
Antonio made his escape, by ven.
turing to run his boat far out to
sea, and safely reached the port Of
Negombo, where he found a Dutch
ship bound for Calcutta, in which
he took passage, paying the price
therefor in a small pearl. Arriv.
cd at Calcutta, lie soon found q
ship bound for the Mediterranean
but before he sailed he was waited
upon by a Bcngalese merchant
who asked him if he had any pearls
TO sell. The Dutch captain, il
seems, had suspected the fact, and
had told the merchant. The Ben
galese proved bimself an honora
BILE and responsible man, and oul
adventuror offered the bulk of hi,
pearls, and received therefor sun
Ofgold equal to about two hundred
thousand crowns. The possession
Of this sum would have made hin
crazy, If his conversation with th,
Dutchman had not given him L
understand something near tn,
value of the property he held.
And with this wealth Antoni,
Morino had made his way back t,
Isis home. From Leghorn, wher
he landed, he had brought his gol,
down the coast in his own boa,
and had concealed it in his collar
having dug q hole in which L
place it. And this gold the ad
yenturer was keeping for his sor
lie had no idea Of investments, O
interest /; his only concern bein
to keep a knowledge Of his posse.
sion from those who would sure