Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-09
Captain, do you know Mecatine har-

bor?''
YES" said the captain; 81 laid there
for three days not long ago"
Are you going to Labrador again?"
81 expect to 20 next year." the captain
| answered, "unless the owners should
sell the vessel. If they do that 1 shan't
co.
"lf you will take me when you 70" the
old man promised, you'll never have to
/ go fishing again. | know where there's
money enough up there for you and me
and fifty more"
Pressed to explain himself, the old man
! agreed to do so il his secret was kept.
| The captain engaged to keep it and take
| him to the treasure-troVe. Then the Old
man said thai he was the son OF tae pirate
| Manning-the infant who was DAYS
old when his father left home for the last
time. At the age OF Is young Manning
enlisted III the English navy. His vessel
| going at one time into a Spanish port, he
met there an old man who asked his BIRTH
place and name. The boy gave the in
/ formation and the old man, with many in
! functions to secrecy, cOnfded that he was
| his father, gave him chart OF Mecatine
! (Which Rickett says he saw and urged
! MIN 30 save money enough to go there
and get the treasure. Filled with glori-
! Gus antioipations, the boy proceeded to
''eelebrate" by getting drunk, ana this
/ performance he repeated so often as his
vessel made port, comforting himself in
| sober moments with the reflection that the
| treasure was there and he could get it at
any time.
Youthful debauchery bore its fruits,
! however, in his case, and after a life
| time spent in roaming about the world he
| had drifted back to Halifax, 10 nearer to
the accomplishment of his purpose than
he had been at the outset.
AFTER THE TREASURE.
Capt. McNichol, reused by this nara
| tive TO earnest action, vowed that he
would 90 to Mecatine. The owners did
sell his vessel, but the following year he
sold his house, mOrtgaged his shop, b0r
r0wed 5000 and bought another craft. Ar
rived at Halifax, en- route, he found Man
ming sick unto death and unable TO ac-
company him. Then, though the old man
warned him that he would certainly sail
TO his own destruction il he attempted to
seek the treasure without the aid of its
| lawful owner, the bold captain set out
| again. On the way his cabin boy heard
| 1t plotted among the crew to secure the
treasure and then Kill the captain, but
| this did not move him; he Was ready to
| take even greater risks. OF Mecatlne
! Island, the captain said, his lower limbs
/ became paralyzed, 80 that he had to drag
| himself along by his hands. He still kept
on his course. When he was near enough
TO the harbor so that he could look III On
the graves no heard q voice cry in his ear:
| "Death! deathl deathw He had just
room to swear ship" He did 80, came
away and never went near the spot again.
ANOTHER EXPEDITION.
All these facts were known to Mr..
kickett, he says, but in the tolls of busy
| no l,ah nftK
membrance. He served h0norabv in
Maine regiment during the civil war. AT
the close Of the war he returned again TO
| Maine. Seven years ago, tie AYERS, the
negro whom Manning buried with the
treasure came to him In dream and told
! him that the treasure was for him Rick
ett). Once year, tor three years follow
ing, The dream was repeated, and finally
Rlckett became impressed by 1t and or
gained an expedition to the frozen
| North. A prominent Republican pOliti-
clan of Portland made one Of the party,
which was composed, almost without eX-
ceptlOn, of those whom the world calls
"sOlid men," They left here In june,
| 1888, chartered st. John ''wOOd- boat at
| Surry, n. S.. covered half the distance
and We're then obliged to put back TO
CharlottetOwn on account of the seasick-
ness OF the prominent politician. Start
| Ing out again, dllbt but1 uou idAicu uiul,
| they found, on reaching Mecatine, that
the place was full of French Canadian
seal hunters, in presence of whom they,
unarmed men, could do nothing. Rckett
says that he watched his opportunity and
opened the middle grave. He found the
! Negroes bones and uncovered two feet in
depth of a cask, but said nothing of his
discovery TO his companions, for fear that
they would attempt to remove the 'hnd"
and serious trouble with the seal hunters
would ensue. So the party returned with
nothing To show for their labOrs.
THE GRAVES OPENED.
Last spring sickness III his family kept
| Grand Chief Treasure Hunter Rickett at
home. This year his seductive story en-
listed the ardent sympathies Of a dozen
PoTtlAnders-all men who stand nigh in
business, professional or social circles,
and who have money, but wouldn't OBJ
ject 30 mOre-and as soon rs the ice WAS
out of the Gulf of st. Lawrence the eXpe-
diton set sail. They reached Mecatine
IN safety, but only TO ind that the graves
| had been opened and the alleged treasure
| removed. All the surroundings Tailed
with the descriptions which had been
given them, aud the explorers firmly be-
lieved that there has been something
there" They found in the cavity bones
and skull, which "a professional man who
was of the party pronounced TO he those
Of "A negro. Everything else had dlsap-
| peared. The ''natiVes" who lived near
est to the place said that last spring a
Boston vessel came there aud remained
for several days, and that since her de-
parture four other parties had visited the
spot, one coming from Philadelphia, and
the Portland expedition being the last.
Thus the matter stands, and the Port
lauders confidently assert that the pirate
Manning's treasure went to enrich ''par-
ties unknown" who hailed from Boston.