Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-04-01
a SAILORS STORY.
An Adventure With the Inhabitants O
Cavern on a Deserted Island.

An Adventure With the Inhabitants of a
Cavern on a Deserted Island.
John Burnaby, mate of the ship Two
Hearts, being duly sworn, deposeth and
saith:
Il was knocking around San Fran
cisco several years ago, out of berth
and out of money, when got lay with
half dozen men who had chartered a
schooner called the Wave to proceed to
the southernmost island of the Santa
Barbara group, off the Lower California
coast, and dig up a treasure which had
been buried there by a bold buccaneer.
An old chap from Sacramento, rich but
cranky, had got hold of the secret some
how, and it was his enterprise. and ne
went along with US. As the pay was
good. and was to come whether we got
the treasure or not, you will understand
that we had a pretty soft job. was
mate, and we had captain. cook. the old
man and four sailors abroad. We took
along lot of tools, ropes. gunpowder
and the provisions put abroad were fit
for any gentleman's table.
I'VE had a pleasant run down the
coast, and one afternoon dropped anchor
off the east side of the island. bringing
up in very secure harbor and having
midsummer weather with US. That
evening the old man, whose name
was Taylor, let us into
the details of his plans. 1t
seemed that some old sailor had been
giving him taffy. He had it down in
writing that in the year 170S a Spanish
buccaneer. named Gomez something or
other. landed there and buried large
iron-bound chest filled with gold and
silver plate and jewelry. Just as he
was getting away with his ship, Brit
ish man-o'-war comes along and blows
the whole crowd sky high. As nobody
was saved. it seems odd that the treasure
could afterward be heard of. but the
story got started and was passed around
until the old salt gives it to Taylor.
Then what does Taylor do but con-
suit clairvoyant, and she tells him the
story is all true. and gives him de-
scription of the spot where the chest Is
buried. She said that on the southeast
end of the island were three trees in
line. He must start from the tree near
est the south shore and pace off thirty
nine PAGES to the west. Then he must
pace sixteen PAGES to the north, and
under his feet would be the treasure He
must only dig between five and SIX
O'Clock in the afternoon, and while any
digging was going on he must read
from the Bible in a loud voice.
.'Of course if was all bosh. sir. and
of course none of us believed it How
ever, it was none of our business, as we
had soft thing of it. and we kept
straight faces while the old man figured
out his latitude There was nothing to
do next day except to locate the spot
Singularly enough the clairyoyant
had hit it right about the trees.
The island was pretty fairly
wooded. but we had little trouble in find
ing three trees in line. That set Taylor
wild, and it was laughable to see him
stumbling and plunging and pacing
around. He finally made up his mind
as TO the spot, and we drove a stake and
returned to the schooner to wait until
afternoon. She was anchored about two
hundred feet off shore. Right in front
of her was gravelly beach, but little
further to the north was a rocky shore |
standing up about ten feet high. The |
waves had worn a great cavern in this |
bluff. and the waters made curious |
sound as they rushed in and out
The sailors proposed a swim among |
themselves, and the captain. Taylor,
and myself sat in the shade of tree
while the men went into the water. We /
paid no particular attention to them,
but as they came out. fifteen minutes
later. they called to us that man named
Nisbett was missing. He was the best
swimmer of the lot, and had last been
seen in front of the cavern. The time of
his disappearance was not noted. and no
ono could say he was missed until they
were ready to come out. The water
along the bluffs was not over six feet