Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-02-03

going several times into the "Devil' S
Notch" as the pirates called it, and he
thought that by coasting alons the
island he could find it again. Thus far
all was lovely, but before starting the
captain and myself wished to see some
proof of the remarkable power of the
professors magnet.
every WE'LL" said he, "what proofs
do you propose?'
Said the captain, d" want you to show
certain boat which was burned here
over twenty years since, the safe con.
tanning several thousand dollars.
piloted that boat in, and she burnt that
night and the safe went down in
ninety feet of water, and before any.
thing could be done to recover it we
had a big flood and future recovery was
impossible, but | can tell within twenty
feet the spot under which the safe lies !;
find this spot with your magnet"
every WE'LL" said the professor, "to
night in the moonlight we will find it,"
After prospecting about for nearly
half an honr that night, the professor
indicated place on the wooden wharf
sixty or eighty feet from the water.
Here" said the professor, dis the
spot under which your safe or some
other large amount of treasure lies"
"Here," replied the captain. with
affected contempt, "your magnet won't
do. A steamboat cannot get within
twenty yards or more of this spot"
"No mattel" returned the professor,
"there is a larger amount of treasure
right under us than anywhere else un-
der this wharf or in the river, and if
this is not where the boat burned then
| the amount of money on her was
smaller than that right under u.s."
You are correct" said Capt. Sin
clair the boat was burned right here,
and since then the river has filled up
on this side and the wharf has been ex-
tended hundred feet or more, and
that safe is now hundred feet deep in
quicksand and mud. 1t would cost
more to get it out than its contents are
worth, but am satisfied that the mag
net will work"
also expressed full confidence in the
magnet, which | might as we'll describe.
1t was, or appeared to be, made of
metal; was of the shape and about the
size of an ordinary plummet, such as is
commonly used by brick masons it was
kept covered with soft buckskin for
protection from the weather; to this
plummet was tied piece of small silk
twine or string some four feet long.
When used, the end of the string was
taken hold of and the plummet sus-
pended about twelve inches from the
ground, and if any considerable amount
of gold or silver was within mile of it
an inclination of the lower end of the
string caused by the attraction of the
magnet toward the gold or silver, took
place. This attraction was lesser or
greater according to the quantity of the
treasure and its distance from the mag
net. When two or more deposits of
gold were within a distance to affect it,
the attraction was always toward the
larger, and toward gold before silver.
Sometimes the attraction was so great
as to be perceived at once, but when
small it was detected by delicate
plumb level which the professor had
made for the purpose. Previous to
using his magnet, the professor would
put it through what seemed to me for
he always retired little distance to get
it ready a course cf manipulation with
some other substance this required
about five minutes time, and then he
was ready for business.
Our arrangements were speedily COM
pleted, and we were soon under way for
Cuba. Nothing of any Importance oc-
Cured during our trip across the gulf,
and in due time we reached port in
Cuba. The reader may suppose any one
| 10 1,o 60, 7 oh OF
which. Col. Haywood being we'll known,
no difficulty was experienced in charter
ing tug suitable for our purposes, nor
in obtaining . permit from the proper
authorities to visit the Isle of Pine, to
examine specimens of marble found
there, and prospect about the island
for favorable location for opening a
quarry-we being sent out by an organ
lied company for that purpose, etc.
Some little subterfuge, deception and
equivocation was necessary, but finally
everything was ready for start the
next day But the next morning old
Quimbo, our New Orleans negro, was
quite sick, and was obliged to look up
some one else to act as fireman, and
finally engaged Spaniard to act in
that capacity but when he found that
we intended to take Quimbo along, sick
or well, he refused to go, and | had to
look up another person. This time l
selected an Irishman. All this con-
sumed another day. We noticed that
after the Spaniard left us small reve-
nue. cutter kept a pretty close watch on
our movements. This caused us to put
out in the night, and coasting along,
we laid to close in shore to watch events.
Toward morning we saw the cutter pass
us some distance out at sea, heading the
course we were expected to take. We
remained where we were until she was
hull down and then moved on again,
and reached the Isle of Pine without
seeing anything more of the cutter.
BY this time Quimbo had so far recov-
cred as to be able to be out on deck
and examine the coast. Col. Haywood
was satisfied that the "Devil's Notch"
was in the southeastern part of the
island, and | steered accordingly. Hav-
ing reached that part of the island we
coasted slowly along, and in going out
of one of the coves or bays, what did we
see but the cutter waiting for us to come
out. She hailed us, ran along side, and
demanded to see our papers. We
showed them, and the captain of the
cutter could, of course, not detain us,
and we left him, stating that we were
going over to the "Cayo Largo" and
pushed out east accordingly.