Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-11-15
A GREAT TREASURE.

Before the occupation Of India by the
British it was the richest country in gold,
precious stones, rare jewels, fine cloth
and cutlery Of any on earth. While the
poor were miserably poor, the rich were
immensely rich. This was SO even up to
the breaking out Of the great mutiny.
When the British troops were fairly in
line to strike at the rebellion, the watch
word was Revenge and loot" 1t was
understood all through the service that
whatever a soldier could lay hands on
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 as
in a 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 est mated at $20O, 600. 900, As much
more WAS contributed to the rebel cause
by those who could give. Twice or three
times Is much was lost by fire and sword.
England reasoned that an impoverished
people could not rebel. and hot was a
part Of her wal policy,
Ten years after the mutiny | was talk
Ing with a mallarajah in the district Of
Puniab 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 a hundred
million dollars. ] do not believe that
The tenth part Of this great sum has vet
been recovered. Those who secreted il
were dead before the close Of the war,
and this vast treasure is lost to us.
! did not tell him that | had uut in a
year in India, and spen: upward Of
$4,000 looking for some Of that treasure.
Such was the fact, however. \ couple
Of Englishnlcn and myself. forming an
acquaintance In Bombay and having a
spirit # adventure, pooled or cash and
followed NJ several pointers looking TO
buried treasure. We had thus i.gr ililed
TO make any discoveries. and uir rart-
ncrship had been dissolved and ll,c men
had returned 10 Bombay. | was in the
Punjab on business connected with an
American laJs', ard had given up the
treasure business in disgust. The words
of the maharljah recalled all my enthu-
siasm, however, and within IN hour after
| left him ! wa determined to have one
more pal! FOR fortune and TO 20 /. alone.
This determination was fastened and
solidiiied Ivy another incident, / wa
talking with n captain of a native in
fantry regiment regarding some ruins |
had encountered, and he said:
sgA..t so, l...a If -. 80
behind YOU. At the outbreak of the war
these people concealed a great deal of
their wealth in caves and temples, and a
big share Of it is there yet. When YOU
stumble on a pile Of ruins again give the
place a good looking over for loot"
But Tie natives have done 50 a hun
dred times over, ! should saw"
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 lie
haunted, and even if they are not. you
will he certain TO find hyenas and serpents
about"
"Haye you ever heard Of any treasure
being rccoyerrdF' | asked.
Half a dozen instances. sir. Tie
former captaiH Of this com,any went
home with go 600 after doing two hours
work in the ruinso a temple near Bhaul.
pull
The next day I started for Delhi, and
there q liz Of good fortune awaited me.
fell il with a German naturalist who
was making a collection for Il national
museum. and when he learned that |
lad had considerable experience in that
line he engaged me as assistant. lie had
two young men with him. thus making
a party Of four. and when wc struck to
the southwest Of Delhi. intending To- take
In the plaius and iunglcs LotwcCn that
city and Jclpur, We had bix native serv-
ants TO carry the baggage. Our progress
Iras slow and easy, as il wa1 ltF inten.
lion 10 make a very full collection. Tie
country over which w raced Ind no
lines Of railway then, and Was unknown
10 white men except Is they lad hunted
through il. There were tigers and other
wild game in plenty, and IL seemed TO be
the nursery Il all India ior sCrpents.
There were days when we could not
march except as the ground was beaten
by the natives in our front. There was
a thin population, with the villages far
apart, but as an offset the natives were
glad 10 render any aid, especially ms soon
as they learned that we did not belong
81 the ruling rice. The hate they felt
for the English was something terrible.
This district has been almost depopulated
and quite impoverished by the war.
Petty rulers had been deposed, taxes lev.
led with n heavy hand, and the natives
worked themselves up 10 the highest
pitch Of Indignation as they talked
about Il.
Ny one object was buried treasure.
While doing my duty by the professor
bad opportunity for extensive rambles OIL
the line OF march, and ] never failed TO
make inquiries Of natives. This, as j
aftcrward learned. was the worst policy
could have adopted. Every ruin was
sacred 10 them, and every white man
was q defler. One might az well have