The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-07-24
ccllancuns.
A PIRATES HIDDEN GOLD DISCOy.
Erred.

A PIRATES HIDDEN GOLD DISCOv
Erred.
| Treasure buried in Graves OH III,
Island OfGreat Mecatine Taken Away
After various Expeditions Had Gone
| ia search oft
From the Philadelphia Times
| PORTLAND, Me-, July 3.
Three hundred miles from the Eastern
Cape or Prince Edwards Island lies the I'M
Inhabited island of Great Mecatine Eight
miles away and opposite, at the northeast
stands out the precipitOus coast of Labrador
as desolate and forbidding in appearance as
the island itself AT the point, where from
the mainland, a mountain rises to the height
of almost eight hundred feet and where q
small but sheltered harbor is formed by the
interocking of Little Mecatne and Mutton
Islands, is Mecatine itself, the spot in which
as tradition has it, the pirate Manning buried
his Ill gotten gains more than century ago
| Manning, as the story goes was Scotch.
man and, beginning in a small way, fisher
man and farmer. Prosperous in all his ad
ventures, he became, while yet young man,
the owner of a fishing-smack. In this yes
sci he made occasional voyages to the Ameri.
can coast, catching and sailing cod and re-
turning with them to his own country, where
he sold them at great profit AS time went
on he bought larger vessel and became well
| known as warm" man. 1t was, indeed,
| shrewdly suspected that he was quite ready
| for odd jobs in the smuggling way, but that
| circumstance was rather to his credit than
otherwise, in the minds of his neighbors
He married the daughter ola local Squire,
who brought him pretty penny of her own,
| invested extensively in real estate at Gree
| mock and elsewhere and babe fair to end his
days in the peaceful manner most affected by
the Scottish patriarch.
1t seems, however that on one of his voy-
ages to the westward Manning had found Il
spot on the Labrador coast which harmonlzed
with his unexpressed but deep desire to be
known as the lord of new world The
climate was rigorous and the soil unfruitful
1t was near to the fishing grounds, neverthe-
less, and money was to be made there. At
an early day Manning brought his family and
the wives and children of his sailors to the
place and settlement was commenced A
year passed and other families came from the
old land. Manning set up fish stand, bought
and cured fish and shipped them to Europe,
alternating his work with fishing trips in his
own vessel. The settlement grew and pros
pered, until one day, having taken an un.
usually large crew on board his vessel, Man
ming sailed away, leaving his wife with
three year old infant, destined to be the only
hear from him again.
Commerce between the American colonies
and the Old World was at that time carried
on via the Straits of Belle Isle, the route
across "the Banks" being unfathomed and
unknown. Manning had determined to
operate against the hly-freighted cruisers
that passed to and from between the contin-
ent and he had carefully selected his base
He settled down in Mecatine harbor-the
safe entrance to which was, however, as he
believed, known to faone-and, sally
ing forth as occasions offered, plundered
ships and murdered their crews with true
piratical abandon. In the winter he allow
ed his vessel to "freeze up" and spent long
months carousing with his companions, but
when spring opened he was always ION deck"
as many owners and masters learned to their
lasting sorrow.
When the French and Indian war had been
in progress about year it happened that the
English Government sent over treasure
ship which carried the pay of the troops
Naturally enough, Captain Manning caught
her After time, hearing nothing from
the vessel and thinking that she had
been wrecked, the government sent another
vessel, which shared the fate of the first. Sus-
pecting now that something was amiss the
mother country fitted out third ship and
arranged that she should be followed by
fast-sailing frigate. The latter would, it was
calculated reach the spot at which the other
two vessels had last been seen at about the
time when the pirate-allowing that there
was pirate in the case-would be busily
engaged in sacking the former vessel, and his
escape from the vengeance of the frigate's
guns would be very problematical
up to certain point the plan worked to
charm. Manning plundered the ship and, as
usual, started to make all her company walk
the plank. In moment of weakness, how
ever, he relented in favor of an intelligent
negro, who was OF the English crew, and
spared his life, intending him for servant.
Manning returned to Mecatne transported
with joy at his escape and, thinking to
strengthen his hold upon his masters tickle
affections, the negro revealed the plot of the
would.be captors. Manning knew that he
would have no chance in an engagement with
the frigate and his one thought was TO es-
cape without the loss of his wealth. He COL
lected his treasure, took it on shore and
placed it in five oaken brandy casks. These
he set side by side in holes which were has.
tily dug near the beach, and since the earth
was but five feet deep down to the underly-
ing ledge, while the casks were four and q
half feet high and would inevitably soon be
uncovered by wind and wave, he heaped up
each mound into the shape of grave and
placed shore stones at the head and foot.
1t should be promised that Manning, like
all men of his ilk, was extremely supersti-
tious. Before he filled the graves he asked the
negro if he would remain there on guard over
the treasure in exchange for large share
Needless to say the negro consented. Man
ming thereupon killed him and buried him
with the middle cask, twining his limbs artis-
tically around it, which position, to Judge by
the sequel, the deceased found to be highly
uncomfortable. Having made these neces-
sary arrangements, Manning returned to his
vessel and got under way AS he sailed out
of the eastern entrance to the barbor the pur.
suing frigate came in at the western entrance
Manning shaped his course for the Bahamas.
Arriving where the shallow water would not
allow the frigate TO follow the pirate captain
ran hia vessel IN n coral rnaf Che u,ant