The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-10-10

or ten inches nigh. had Nttle curiosity
as to the contents, aud the idea that
they contained treasure never crossed
my mind. got out four before the tide
turned, and there were several more in
sight. After I had them all together
above high water, I began to wonder
whether they contained nails or bullets,
and set about breaking one open. When
rows upon rows of silver coins greeted
my eyes came near losing what little
sense had. Two others contained silver,
the fourth one gold. 1t was English
money, every piece of 1t, and as / had
never seen any before l was at loss to
estimate tn. value.
Before the discovery of that money !
wanted nothing but a pair of shoes, and
the sight of sail would not have affected
me. Now 1 was wild to get at the other
boxes, and my eyes were constantly
:earching the sea for sight of relief. !
dragged the boxes to my house, and most
of each day for the neAt week was spent
on the neck in hopes of getting at more
treasure. The water continued high,
however, and got nothing more. On
the eighth day after I got the treasure,
and about thirty days after my landing,
the third mystery was revealed. At
about o'clock in the moaning, while the
tide was setting in strong, observed a
ships boat drifting in from the south
east. 1t was not ten minutes after saw
her before she was cast on the beach, and
as she rolled over two bodies were flung
ont. To my amazement and horror !
recognized them as the bodies Of the
Captain and mate of the Albatross,
though it was more by the clothing than
by their features 1t was plain at a glanc G
that they had died of exposure and
want There was neither food nor drink
in the boat, and the bodies were little
better than skeletons. 1t was the Cap
tain's gig, and it seemed that these two
got away alone. They must have drifted
here and there for days, for there was
neither sail nor oar.
l was scooping out a grave for the
bodies when turtle sloop rounded the
island and was in the cove before l saw
her. She had crew of three men and a
boy, and they had come for stay of a
week or two, it being the season when
the turtles came ashore to lay their eggs.
They were not from the mainland, but
from a larger island to the north, and
were native West Indians. The Captain
spoke English fairly we'll, and I gave
him full explanation, even to the find
ing of the treasure. They could have
knocked me on the head and safely
taken all, but they did not do it. The
Captain looked over my money, and said
I had about s33, 900, and it was agreed
that, in repayment for o passag. to
Porto Rico / was to surrender all rights
to the ships boat. In four. days those
poor turtle catciers, none of whom had
ever had $50 at once, took $50, 900 out OF
the sands. There were more boxes left.
or it was 80 believed, but they required
other outfit to secure them. | WAS not
only landed in Porto Rico, as agreed, but
told how to take care Of my money,
most of which was exchanged for paper,
and my passage on sailing vessel bound
for New Orleans was secured.
I did not go near the owners OF the
Albatross. She had been reported lost,
with all on board, and to this day not
one of the crew has been heard of. l
could have gone to the authorities with
nv story, but who would have believed
it7 Those who had plotted against me
had been overcome, and l had sprung
from poverty to wealth at bound. And
so I repeat: "t;od's ways are full Of
mystery. ."-Meu York Sun.