The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-10-03
WHOLE NO. 1912.
ATreasure Seeker.


The ci7tain Of the Nereid. who went
searching among the Pacifc islands for
spanish treasure. IS only a type Of a class
of seaftring mea whom one constantly
meets ia Elstern. and perhaps in many
other. plrts- Bat to the east ofSinelpore
this class is especially numerous Amoag
pilots in Chinese and japanese ports, and
the masters Of small trading vessels. es-
peciai.y those visitirg the Philippines,
Car5iues and Correo. the belief that
somewhere 30 these regions vast sums lie
buried, either inland OF in the ocean.
which can be recovered by those having
the ciews. which stiH exist, Is almost uni-
versai --or. at least, was a few wears ago
The story may diGsr in many mouths
the treasure may have been buried by
pirates, as in the present case, Or It may
have been lost by shipwrecS but az veT-
si0as agree that &c came from Lima or
Valparaiso. usually the former. AMI was
on is Eay to Manila in Spanish -alleon-
And. ls Jhe histozy Of the Nereid shows,
theze are men Of intelligence and skill ia
their Ealing who are ready % risk their
.ttle wealth in she search f1r the las,
treasure was once brought by busi-
ness iate contact with a piio, in "a welt
known Elstern harbor who Wa a nan
of such skill that be was permanently
employed by several important compan-
les O. take charge Of their vessels. He
had been for many years strict teeio-
taller and had byclre, economy ami
l1ck aaalsse,l a considerable fortune A
large part Of this hespent IN the purchase
ofa strongly bulls yacht or schooner ans
IN fitting her up for some purpose which
no one could understand The long IN
tervsls of solitude and waiting imposed
by BIS cailia- be bad 'pent ia rsalins
AMI s-ulv. AMI bis acquaintance with
s1uiry qa.-0fthe-way Subjects was amaz
ing Hs was tne only private person I
lever met IN the Eas, wlo subscribed for
London daily paper. Elstern reaIers
usually purchase the tri-weekiy mail eIi-
ton of The Times The Times Weekly
Eiil1n-' oro.her weekly papers, bot he
received the daily Times regularly
lie glt his letters az bis remote station On
the cllst once month, and /, to0s
c1ols Co carry the sack containing the
whos. 70 the months issue Of The Times
Thess be carefully arranged in order Of
dae. and chen read one every day, SO
that De yas able 30 boast that he read
his riues every evening Ikea Lonlon-
er 9all St be dal. with the triaing differ
eaes that hisdaiiy copy was three months
old
SOmathing to 10 with the presentation
ola gold ehronometer from, I think. the
Prussiln Government. OF &c might have
been a medal from the Royal Humane
society. FOR saving life at SEA threw me
into his company. de invited me for
aeru - in his yacht about the ueighbor-
ing coasts. and in the confidence be-
gotten Il such close contact he unfolded
his cherished plans. He had several
time hiHted darkiy at the wonderful
things the sea contained but one night
after dinner in the cabin he told me-
whispered t0 me rather. although there
were DO ElgiiSh-speaking persons on
hoari but ourselves story. many Of
the details Of which forgot Of his pro-
founl elrues,ness there could be 10
doutt add The yscht in which we were
was q proof Of his own conviction Of lis
truth. He proiaced little rough chart.
rude.y drawn by hand. which bad eyi-
IDENTIFY borne much rough usaee ami was
well thlmaed. The spelling was old, and
in places len much to be desired. and
here and there were a few Worisof span
i-h. l- represented coral rector shosi,
s1maw whcre 90 the northeast of the Philip
pine Islands. on which a spanish gaIle0n,
from Lima o. Manila. had gone down
some time in the sixteenth orseventecuth
century and there an her treasure.
which was said % oe something enor-
NOUS. remained until the present time.
OF the history and authenticity of the
chart my friend seemed gnite satisfied.
All can now remember of the story is
that man named salmon. a MASTER
mdrnerof Piymogth. had got itiu the
Philippines He was engaged IN carry
ing valuable woods from these islands 10
singapore and Calcutta abou. 1850. ani
was wrecked somewhere To the south II
10 To-. Here he lived among the natives
for ab1ut ten years. acting Is a kind II
agert tor another shipm1ster engaged in
the same trade. keeping the people up 20
their contracts and preparing cargo for
the next voyage. lie kept a rol-h diary
which my friend showed me. from which
it appeared that he bad endured great
haFl.ships, and made several enieavors
g oltIia the aid Of firm IN Manila In
earring out search for the treasure.
He died one evesing on boarl his prin-
cipar- vessel. and asthe people would
nos allow the hereto 70 BE- buried on
shore, his body. sewn up in cdnvass. had
10 BE- sIken ~ midnight far oGt to ss1 70
an an island, on the summit Of which he
was laid to rest.
IN bis last moments he told the story
Of the treasure 20 hrs principal. ami -lve
him tie chart and papers he in histurn
was wrecked. AMI being peuniiess sold
The documents % my friend f1f a trae
The story q the chart vas complete
eno.,rh Is 7 heard it. but from is origin T
Co is coming into the possession Of tie
unhappy salmon, ny memory fails me.
and is only the strange circumstances
attending bis lie ani death. that have
Gzed this part ofihe story IN my memo- (
with ;iis char; and it- story in his .
foss iion, NY frienI had made up bis
mird 20 search for lhe treasure. He Aai .
an big plans laid, whea. be vas goiu-. /
how. who was going With him, how be
vas % iredEe for i. how convert Il into .
current coiu- h0w use il when be had i
everything was qsite settled and clear
in iis miad. lie had s.Hdied ana brood .
ed pver the history Of the spauiar,is. in
south Anericr. and the Philippines the /
cou. nfunication between the tEo- and had .
even settled the DATE of the wreck and .
the precise vessel. soon afervari err
euusances separated rs. and I have
hear nothing of him since. nor have Z /