News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-09-27
A REAL TREASURE ISLAND,
Stevenson's Story Reproduced ip
Fact in the Northern Pacific.


From the Japan Weekly NALL
In 1928, during O revolution in Peru,
q number of wealthy residents of Lima
chartered a brig of 300 tons, to carry to
Spain their property in money and
jewelry and large quantity of monas-
tic plate. 1t is said that there were
doubloons to the value of two millions
sterling, and vast sum in plate. But
after the treasure was on board, and
when its owners came down to the
beach, they found the vessel gone. An
Euglishman, lieutenant fin the Peru
Wan navy, hearing of the intended
flight, had gone on board with chosen
band, and had cut out the brig within
hail of q Peruvian man of-war. He
steered right across the Pacific, aud in
course of time reached Marianne Is
lands, in the Pacific Ocean, where the
treasure was buried. A course was then
laid for Honolulu. But before reaching
this port quarrels broke out among the
pirates, and the Lieutenant, with his
two officers and a cabin boy, having set
fire to the vessel, got into heat and
left the crew. One of the officers was
murdered and thrown overheard before
the boat reached Honolulu. There the
party represented themselves as the sur
vivors of shipping disaster. The Lieu
tenant, before leaving Lima had been
in love with ladys the wife of Peru
Wan officer who was slain in the revolu-
ton, and, before taking any further
steps with regard to the treasure, deci-
ded to send for her. The cabin boy was
despatched as his emissary to Lima, but
on his arrival there was seized and i'm
prisoned, and the lady refused to have
anything further to do with man whom
she styled detestable pirate.
The Lieutenant and his sole remain
ing companion thereupon chartered a
small foreaand-aft schooner, the Swallow,
commanded by one Capt. Thompson,
and proceeded to the Mariannes for his
treasure. Thompson tried hard to get q
charter for a specified port or ports, but
the Lieutenant insisted on broad char
ter, including any or all the Mariannes.
One evening when they were in sight of
the islands, the Lieutenant, who was
sitting on the lee rail chatting with his
companion, was, it is conjectured, tipped
overheard by the latter and disappeared.
The usual alarm was raised, but the
Lieutenant's body was never recovered.
Thompson, from certain scraps of con-
versation which he had overheard, hay
ing suspected the object of the voyage,
overhauled the dead Lieutenant's effects,
and among them found chart of the
island on which the treasure was hidden,
but with the name omitted. Soon after
ward he sighted another brig, with the
master of which he was acquainted, and
they arranged to search for the treasure
and divide it between them, giving the
surviving pirate a share on condition
that he consented to point out the spot,
but with threat if he did not do SO he
would forthwith be handed over to the
Spanish authorities. At concerted
moment the pirate was seized by both
Captains, and the condi ions named. He
nodded. They asked him if he would in
dicate the situation of the treasure. He
nodded. They asked if this was the island,
pointing to the nearest of the group. He
again nodded. They invited him to step
into boat which had been lowered, and
guide them to the treasure. He nodded
once more. Afterward he went below,
and filled his pockets with lead and iron.
Then, going down the ladder, he pushed
off the boat with one foot from the side
of the schooner, and dropped feet first
into the sea. Until within two years
ago there was alive one of the boats
crew, who, snatching at the suicides
hair to save him as he sank, plucked
from his head a handful of hair. but
could not raise the heavily-weighted
body. This put an end to the treasure
hunting. The chart went into the DOS
session of the Spanish authorities.
The British schooner Nereid recently
sailed from Japan rs far as Guam. n
small island belonging to the Marianne
group, in scare of the buried treasure.
but while the Captain. who intended to
sail for zap, in the Carolines, was on
shore, it was carried off either by his
mate or two japanese, or by all three,
these being the only persons on board.
AS no trace of the vessel has been found,
there is still some mystery about the af-
fair. Meanwhile the Captain of the
Nereid, who holds or believes he holds
The Glaze to the secret of all this wealth.
has lost everything. Whatever NAV be
thought of this extraordinary story.
what is beyond any question, saws the
Japan Mail, is that an English ship
master in YOkohoma, at the commence
ment of the present year, set out in q
schooner, built under his own supervi-
sion and belonging to himself, to search
for the treasure supposed to be hidden
more than sixty years ago among the
coral islands of the North Paoife.-nS5d
that his crew ran away with his vessel
and have not since been heard of. Pos
sibly they, too, having some suspicion
of the object of the voyage, determined
to recover the treasure on their own
account. The story was taken down
from the mouth of the Captain himself.