St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-11-03
A GREAT TREASURE.

A CHEAT TREASURE.
| Defore the occupation of India by tn,
british it was the richest country in gold
precious stones, rare jewels, fine cloti
and cutlery of any on earth. While til,
poor were miserably poor. the rich wer'
immensely rich. This was so even up tt
the breaking out Of the great mutiny
When the British troops were fairly IL
Line to strike at the rebellion, the watch
word was Revenge and loot" 1t wa
understood all through the service tina,
whatever soldier could lay hands or
should become his plumber. They didn't
fight any the worse for that, but they
struck a double blow at the Indians.
They crippled them financially as well Of
in military sense. and the people have
never recovered, and never can. The
amount of loot taken out of India during
the rebellion and directly afterward has
been estimated at 5000, 900. AS much
more was contributed to the rebel cause
by those who could give. Twice or three
times as much was lost by fire and sword.
England reasoned that an impoverished
people could not rebel. and loot was q
part of her war policy.
Ten years after the mutiny was talk
ing with a maharajah in the district OF
Punjab about the financial change in the
condition of the people, and he said:
AT the outbreak Of the war our peo-
pie buried or hid away at least hundred
million dollars. do not believe that
the tenth part Of this great sum has yet
been recovered. Those who secreted it
were dead before the close CT the war,
and this vast treasure is lost to us"
did not tell him that had put in a
year in India, and spen. upward of
$4,000 looking for some of that treasure.
Such was the fact. however. A couple
of Englishmen aud myself, forming an
acquaintance in Bombay and having q
spirit Of adventure, pooled our cash and
followed up several pointers looking to
buried treasure. We had thus far failed
to make any discoveries. and cur part
nership had been dissolved and the men
had returned to Bombay. I was in the
Punjab on business connected with IN
American house, and had given up the
treasure business in disgust. The words
of the maharajah recalled all my enthu-
siasnl, however, and within an hour after
left him was determined to have one
more pull for fortune and to 60 it alone.
This determination was fastened and
solidifled by another incident. ! was
talking with captain of a native in.
fantry regiment regarding some ruins
had encountered, end he said:
"You may have left dozen fortunes
behind you. At the outbreak of the war
these people concealed great deal of
their wealth in caves and temples, and
big share of it is there yet. When you
stumble on pile of ruins again give the
place good looking over for loot
''But the natives have done so hum
dred times over, should say"
.'You are wrong. Where they knew
of treasure they may have unearthed it,
but they fight shy Of rambling about hap
hazard. They believe all ruins to be
haunted, and even if they are not. you
will be certain to find hyenas and serpents
about"
s.Have you ever heard of any treasure
being recovered2' asked.
''lIalf dozen instances, sir. The
former captain of this company went
home with $50, 600 after doing two hours
work in the ruins Of temple near Bhaul,:
pull"
The next day started for Delhi, and
there a bit Of good fortune awaited me. |
fell in with German naturalist who I
was making collection for q national |
museum, and when he learned that I |
had had considerable experience in that
line he engaged me as assistant. He had
two young men with linn, thus making
a PARTY of four, and when we struck to
the southwest Of Delhi. intending to take
III the plains and jungles between that
city and JoGpur, we had six native serv-
ants to carry the baggage. Our progress
was slow and easy, as it was his interl-
ton to make a very full collection. The
country over which we passed had 10
lines of railway then, and was unknown
to white men except as they had hunted
through it. There were tigers and other
wild game in plenty, and 1t seemed TO be
the nursery of all India for serpents.
There were days when we could not
march except as the ground was beaten
by the natives in our front. There was
. thin population, with the villages far
apart, but as an offset the natives were
glad to render any aid, especially as soon
as they learned that VIC did not belong
to the ruling race. The hate they felt
for the English was something terrible,
This district has been almost depopulated
md quite impoverished by the war.
Petty rulers had been deposed, taxes lev
ed with heavy hand. and ahe natives
worked themselves up to ne highest
bitch of Indignation as they talked
lbout it.
My one object was buried treasure.
While doing my duty by the prof.
lad opportunity for extensive ranlbles 81
he line of march. and never failed to h
make inquiries of natives. This, as
fterward learned, was the worst policy
could have adopted. Every ruin was
acred to them, and every white man
vas defler. One might as well have