The Shasta courier., 1872-07-27

clear mors Of the moss away and to their
usser astonishns0s revealed the time Won
characters, IN, C.E.2P." Nonplussed
by the cabalstic disclosure, they were more;
than ever at lss what to do. There
before them evidently the work of human
hands, but for what purpose, to mark what
event, that work hidden by natures
changes until the foot of man accidently
gave it light. did not show. The Roman
characters employed undoubtedly stamped
it as the work of Europeans, and as such
they bethoueht themselves of key to the
mystery. Being surveyors the idea tha.
naturally suggested itself was one connected
with their profession, and to IT, cir joy the
sol ton seemed lain enough. North l
chnin, East 2 Perches" Delighted, they
br ught their instruments into use, and
measuring off the distance in the required
direction, and clearing away with immense
labor the fallen timber and underground of
the place, in order prosecute their search,
they succeeded in finding another stone,
similar in shape and size to the other, burr
ed almost 70 the apex in the earth and de-
cayed vegetation. After a long task at
clearing the face of the stone. they came
to the figure IL" clearly and deeply cut.
Here seemed an end of their trouble =
They had evidently read the inscription
en- the first stone ri ght as finding the second
proved, but DOW there stared them in tie
face uumeral which, though plain in one
sense, yet was as mystical as the signs of
ba
there What could it mean? In TACT what
might it not mean? Seven miles, yards.
rods, feet-anything In despair they
determined to move the rock, which with
the aid of huge levers, they did-no.bing
but the hole rewarding them for their
labor At last the happy thought occur
red to one-why not ~" feet ? No sooner
was it expressed than shovel was brought
into requistion, and down they worked
The suspense that eIdured during the
evacuation of those few feet of earth can
better be appreciated than described
Iiope doubt and fear alternately marked
the faces of the party as in turn they toiled
with the shovel. The ring of metallic SUBJ
stances suddenly brought all to the pit, and
there the person 81 oveling exposed to their
gaze rusted iron ring, attached, as the
hurried efforts of the worker soon disclos-
ed, to deeayed wooden hox, about a foot
square. On lifting on the ring it gave
way, and hey DID not raise their supposed
treasure to the surface of the earth until it
was completely locsed from its bed by the
use of the shovel They found that they
had secured box Of wood, decayed by
time, yet held together by several iron
hoops, and, as was shown by the decayed
wood having been beaten off in one or two
places, liz ed with copper or other metal.
The weight satisfied them that they had
found treasure, but of what value they
were now to ascertain Breaking the box
open, there was brought to light gold and
silver coin and jewels. the bulk being
silver, aud all amounting to about $1,000
rhe silver coin was mostly Spanish dollars.
with some few pieces Of ancient South
American coinage the gold was in Spanish
douboons, and the jewelry was of silver,
of no great value, with the exception of
one piece which contained diamond set.
tings. Well pleased with their adventure,
the parties :. ade an equal 'iivision of the
property and came TO the city Saturday to
tell their story. Some money is Oh exhibi-
tion 10 the windows of one of our prominent
brokers on Front street; and gentleman
who frequents First street, generally at
Green's billiard room, has the diamond pin
spoken Of which, by the way, is worthy of
further notice. The pin is in the shape of
a leaf, made of silver, after the old Mexi-
can style, much corroded, or rather black
eued, by time. and contains $1,000
diamonds, the largest worth about $35.
The diamonds are rose cut, and of the
most exquisite beauty aud brilliaDcy. He
gave $2u0 for the pin Antiquarian curl
osity is rife concerning who put the trea
sure there, and when, as nothing to solve
either question was found in the box May
not the old Spanish galleon, whose skeleton
is racked by the tides in the bay near As
tora; and whose ,bs suggest the spectre
Of departed years, have some knowledge of
who placed the iron box in its bed in the
wilderness of Oregon !?