The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-07-24

| way to Spain.
| In order to come little nearer to the pre-
sent time, it is needful to Intervene from
this point the narration of Mr.. s. Eben
Rickett, of this city. Mr.. Rickett, the nature
of whose useful avocation is indicated by the
descriptive appellation, lash -man'-is a
dreamer of dreams and q seer of visions. AS
a boy he was, however, more prosaic and as
to events which happened within his own
knowledge, at that period, his "reminiscences
have some weight. Forty years ago, then,
when Rickett, aged twelve years, lived with
his widowed mother in Eastern Maine, he
made fishing voyage to Labrador with n
| Captain McNichol, OF Calais. To avoid n
| gale, the vessel put into Mecatine harbor, and
during their stay at that place the captain and
| boy went on shore and saw the graves, which
| they supposed to be genuine.
On the return the vessel went to Halifax.
There, at store which the captain-always
| accompanied by the boy-visted, they met an
old, white haired man, who sat apart and
manifested no interest in the conversation
until the captain CHANGED to mention that his
vessel had come from Labrador. Then the
| old man grew strangely excited. He follow
| ed the visitors out of the store and, safely
away from it, asked:
captain, do you know Mecatne harbor %
1So, ouu tHC CuptdIu L ldlu bucTe LOT
three days not long ago"
Are you going TO Labrador again?"
II expect to go next year" the captain an.
swered, unless the owners should sell the
vessel. If they do that l shan't 60"
III you will take me when you &c" the old
man promised, you'll never have to go fish.
ing 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 if his secret were kept. The
captain engaged to keep it and take him to
the treasure-trove. Then the old man said
that lie was the son of the pirate Manning
the infant who was three days old when his
father left home for the last time. At the
age of sixteen young Manning enlisted in the
English navy. His vessel going at one time
into Spanish port, he met there an old man
who asked his birthplace and name. The
boy gave the information and the old man,
with many injunctions to secrecy, confided
that he was his father, gave him chart of
Mecatne (Which Rickett says he saw and
urged him to save money enough to go there
and get the treasure Filled with glorious
antlcpations the boy proceeded to celebrate"
by getting drunk, and 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 any time.
Youthful debauchery bore its fruits, how
ever, in his case, and after a lifetime spent in
roaming about the world he had drfted back
to Halifax, no nearer to the accomplishment
of his purpose than he had been at the out
set.
Captain McNichol, reused by this nara.
tive to earnest action, vowed that he would
Crp tn Tha I'll Ill l.
sci, but the following year he sold his house,
mortgaged his shop, borrowed $500 and
bought another craft. Arriving at Halifax,
en- route, he found Manning sick unto death
and unable to accompany MIN. Then, though |
the old man warned him that he would GER
tainy sail to his own destruction if he at
tempted to seek the treasure without the aid |
of its lawful owner, the bold captain set out |
again. On the way his cabin-boy heard it |
plotted among the crew to secure the treasure |
and then kill the captain, but this did not |
move him The was ready to take even greater |
risks Of Mecatine Island the captain said his |
lower limbs become paralyzed, so that he had |
to drag himself along by his hands. He still |
kept on his course. When he was near the |
graves he heard voice cry in his ear -
Death DEATH" He had just room to wear
ship" He did so, came away and never went
near the spot again,
All these facts were known to Mr.. Rickett,
he says, but in the tolls of busy life they
had passed from his active remembrance. He |
served honorably in Maine regiment during
the civil war. At the close of the war he re-
turned again to Maine. Seven years ago, he
AYERS, the negro whom Manning buried with
the treasure came to him in dream and told
him that the treasure was for him (Rickett.)-l
Once year, for the three years following,
The dream was repeated, and finally Rickett
became impressed by it and organized an ex-
petition to the frozen North. A prominent
Republican politician of Portland made one
Of the party, which was composed, almost
without exception, of those whom the world
calls solid men," They left here in June,
1888, chartered st. John "wood- boat" at
Surry, w. s., covered half the distance and
were then obliged to put back to Charlotte
own on account of the seasickness of the
prominent politician. Starting out again,
after they had landed him, 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.
aickett says that he watched his opportunity
md opened the middle grave. He found the
legro's bones and uncovered two feet in
lepth of cask, but said nothing of his dis
,overy TO his companions for fear that they
would attempt to remove the find" and Sc
'ious trouble with the seal hunters would
,nsue So the party returned with nothing
o show for their labors.
Last spring sickness in his family kept
Grand Chief Treasure-Hunter Rickett at
home. This year his seductive story enlisted
he ardent sympathies of dozen Portlanders
all men who stand high in business, profess
onal or social circles, and who have oney,
,ut wouldn't object TO more-and as soon as
he ice was out of the Gulf of st. Lawrence
he expedition set sail They reached Me-
,atine in safety, but only to find that the
graves" had been opened and the alleged
reasure removed. All the surroundings
allied with the descriptions which had been
,iven them and the explorers firmly believed i
hat there has been something there"
They found in the cavity bones and skull, i
which professional man who was of the {
)arty pronounced TO be those of negro.
everything else had disappeared. The ina
ives" who lived nearest to the place said
hat last spring Boston vessel came there
md remained for several days, and that since
Ter departure four other parties had visited !
he spot, one coming from Philadelphia; and
he Portland expedition being the last Thus I
he matter stands, and the Portanders conf
lenty assert that the pirate Manning's
reasure went to enrich "parties unknown"
who hailed from Boston.
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