The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1886-04-20
"A HOARD OF GOLD.
The Existence OF Pirates' Treasures
Revealed by q Chart.

AtcVcaleu ny Chapt.
Somewhere about the year 1910 a pl
ratical craft, which had been cruising
along the Spanish main, having met
with considerable success among the
Spanish merchantmen and obtaining
some rich hauls Of specie, was running
up along the lower Florida coast when
she was caught ina suddengale just be-
low Hillsboro. inlet and wrecked on q
coral island. rNearlyal the scr6w got
ashore safely, and before the ship broke
up they succeeded in getting out 18 of
the 20 casks Of gold they had captured.
The casks being too heavy to carry cas-
lily, the captain ordered his men to make
bags OF the sails, and in these tho gold
was carried to spot in the centre Of the
island and there buried, the captain
making a rough sketch Of the location
after which all hands went to the lower
end Of the island and camped. The
same night they were discovered by the
Indians and all were killed except one
w,
who happened to be little apart from
the others when the raid was made and
thus escaped the fate of his companions.
But even then he was discovered the next
day and was kept in captivity for sever
al weeks, when he esceped, and wander
ing along the coast, finally arrived at
st. Augustine. The steward of all sail
ing crafts at that time also acted as the
captains clerk, and kept all ships pa
pers, ETC., and he, among other rapers,
kept the chart which the captain had
made Of the hiding place Of that gold.
He continued to reside in st. Augustine,
and for long time intended to take
some good opportunity to 60 and take
up the treasure, but circumstances pre-
vented, the Indians were troublesome,
and the Spanish settlement was in tur-
moil, and the chart became mislaid Or
lost, and then came the war Of the Con-
federacy; in the meantime the steward
was getting TO be an old man, and hay
ing accumulated considerable wealth,
he gave up all idea Of going after this
treasure until few months ago. While
he was showing some old documents
which he had concerning some portion
Of st. Augustine, he unrolled the lost
chart from inside another ancient parch-
{nent, but as he was now ,95 years old,
with no near relatives to beneiit by; his
money and himself not needing it, he calls
upon an old friend who has once done
him great favor, and tells him, as the
sole survivor Of that affair, all the par
ticulars, and gives him the chart and
promises to 60 with him In an expedition
to find 1t if his health would admit.
The friend has rugged up small
sloop and, with provisions and several
companions, is now on his way to the
location. The old man was too feeble
to go with them, but the chart is so
clear in its description and the informs-
ton given by the old man and corrobor-
ative evidence Of location has been found
by one of the party who at various
times found gold coin on the beach at
the precise locality of the wreck (pre-
sumably from the casks that the pirates
failed to remove from the ship) gives the
party assurance that the trip will be a
successful one. The amount estimated
by the steward Is near million Of dol
lars, and the principal party, the man
who befriended the old steward, and
who has the chart and information, Is a
welllSnown and popular citizen Of Fer
nandina, therefore we wish him all sue
cess