Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-09-05
Ism

"A0O NV"6, WIN VuAnSU
Y, MINNESOTA, THU
MONTE CHRISTIE In TRRPACIFIC.
Queer Story q E: : ,!r;,:. H:%.bt.h,e .lI' Hunt
Theodore Kirchhoff, late Of San Fr M
cisco, contributes to the Gsrtenlaube. a
German Journal, very curious account
Of go!d-hunt. tho substances Of which is
On the 2oth Of February last the br;p
Laura set sail from San Fransisco, having
on board provisions and necessaries fcr
eight months use, and carrying as its
crew Captain 'rhomcs Welsh aud his wife
Eliza and eight members Of the Is South
Pacific Treasure Prospecting COMPANY"
They expected to find coin and levels to
tho amount of $65, ,O00, ,000-all slowed
away, according to Captain. Welsh's &C.
count, by a pirate crew IF which he is the
only survivor. 1t 10 avid cory that he
tells "a mixture, apparently, Of the old
buccanneering narratives, tho sentimental
novel Of the penultimat5 generation, and
the modern romance of Dumas. Welsh
was kidnapped, he aeys, in early youth, at
some English seaside place, ty
PIRArtcAr; DrspER1po,
disappointed suitor OF his mothers, ste
having been forced against her will to give
her hand to nobleman of Kent Welsh's
father. With him was taken young
girl-his playfellow Eliza, now his wife:
Young Welsh was incorporated into the
pirate crew. Ills captains ship became
the terror Of the West Indian seas, and
its success emooldsned the captain tn
more and more enterprising measures.
In 1918, when the South American Re.
publics threw off the yoke of Spain, he
doubled Cape Horn, and lay in wait for
the Spanish galleons traversing the Pacific
with the gold Of Peru. The pirate brig
carried one hundred and sixty men from
the British Island, and eight guns. From
time to time the captain made recruits
from the coasts of Chiff and Pc1u, and
made friendly connections with the people
in those parts. in order to keep up his
knowledge Of the Spanish maritime move.
ments. His captured treasure became at
last SO large that he sought place where
to deposit it, aud discovered
THE cocos ISLAND,
situated in the Pacific Ocean, 5,35 N. lat
itude, and about 300 nautical miles West
of Panama. Here was a hill of moderate
height, and inside it cavern, where the
treasure was carefully stored away.
After counting over its amount and cover.
ing che spot from observation, the bucca-
neers returned to their trade. The whole
marauding party, with the exception Of
Welsh and Eliza, who got off in u bout,
wore surprised and cut to pieces when
laying their plans for an attack on one of
the richest cities on the coast of South
America Thirty years after-in the year
l850-Welsh and Eliza turn up in San
Francisco. They tell this tale, and add
that in the interval they have been living
in New York, in New Zealand, and, else
where. In 1855 they actually persuaded
some adventurcrs in San Francisco TO start
on the search for the Cocos Island. The
expedition proved fruitless. But in 1867
a company was formed for the discovery
Of tho hidden treasure, and Welsh was
placed in command Of q schooner called
the Petrol.
Again the enterprise proved abortive.
Welsh said that a Conspiracy was formed
against bis life and that Of his wife, and
that he therefore steered the ship to
Panama and Quilted it.. Those who went
with him declared that no proved himself
utterly incapable Of managing tho vessel,
and had to run into Panama for safety.
Tho whole story of the Cocos Island treas-
ure was u monstrous swindle, people now
proclaimed. And yet hope springs eter-
| nal in the humsn breast" and we find that
in 1870 Welsh was taken on board as q
passenger and guide by q party of discov-
cry sent out under the auspiccs of the
Government of Costa Rica ind this time
it is averred that they reached
| THE IDENTICAL ISLAND, --~s
and landed on it, and came to the foot of
the hill, and were only prevented from
getting ut tho promised treasure by the
i:2poss'bility Of finding the opening, and
Welsh's cbstinacy in refusing to point it
out-a refusal which he defended on tho
plea that his companions had determined
to take his life ruther than give him his
covenauted share Of the spoil. After re.
turning to San Francisco, Welsh's wife
took up the trade Of q magnetic medium,
and prophesied all sorts of wonders about
the Cocos Island treasure and found On
audience credulous enough tc accept her
stories, and rich enough to form now
company and FIT out new expeaiticn fol
the recovery Of the mythical hoard.
This time Welsh and Eliza have gone
forth Us conductors Of the brig Laura
stipulating for as much Of tho treasure ~
shall exceed $30,O0U,OOO as their share
for nothing at all should tho amount
prove less.