Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-04-10
Finding the Treasure.


1t must be nearly fifty-five years
ago now since the events happened.
| was about twenty or twenty one
years Of age and had made one voy-
age in the Golden Gem out and home
to the West Indies and Honduras.
The Golden Gem was rugged
and was little thing of about $50
tons burden. She was owned by the
captain, a Welshman named Thomas
Thomas, and had made many voy-
ages in the West Indian trade.
On our second voyage we took out
a general cargo from London to San
ton, on the South American coast: we
had a fair average passage out, and it
was the captains intention, after he
had discharged our cargo there, to
run up to Honduras and load up a
cargo of mahogany for home, as usu-
al.
However, when we were dischar-
ing at Santos he changed his mind,
and, instead of going for mahogany,
we sailed to Rio Janeiro and there
loaded a lot Of war material-guns,
cannon, gunpowder, and other stuff
for Valparaiso, for the Government
of Chill.
This was a longish voyage for the
little Gem, but the Chilli Government
were anxious to get their ammunition
round quickly, and offered such a
tempting freight that our captain
could not resist the chance of making
a big haul.
All went well, and in due course we
arrived at our destination and dis
charged our cargo successfully. We
learnt at Valparaiso that trouble was
brewing between Chill and Peru and
any time. This, of course, accounted for
the anxiety displayed for the war ma
terial we had brought round.
Capt. Thomas had intended going
to Callao, in Peru, for a cargo Of
guano for some port on our way
home, but with such a close prospect
of war between the two countries he
concluded to give the idea up.
We had been discharged some few
days and our captain was on the point
of sailing in ballast when a messen-
ger from his agents came down to the
schooner and asked him to go up to
the office.
Night passed and we saw nothing of
our skipper till late next day, when
he came on board with a stranger.
OF course we were all agog to know
what was going on. Every man of us
felt keen personal interest in the
little craft, and when the mate was
sent for to join the captain and the
stranger we guessed something special
was on.
After awhile the mate came for
ward and we all clustered around him
to hear the news.
Have any of you any experience of
diving?" said he. II mean," he con
tinued, ''going down below in Divers
tdress''
eyes, sir" answered two of the
men-Bob Green and Tom Swift.
They had been employed in some har-
Dor works in England and knew all
about the business.
That's first-rate," replied the
mate ''The captain is thinking of
going on little expedition where you
will be of service, and if the job turns
out q success there will be nice little
oil o,oun6 fo7. r1-
Il appeared that the stranger had
chartered the schooner to sail for
Ambrose Island, which was little bit
of an island about 900 miles north
west of Valparaiso.
The stranger was Spanish grandee
named Don Carlo de Astigara, and
from what had transpired in the cabin
it seemed that a Spanish merchant
man had, many years before, been
wrecked on the islands and become a
total loss and none of her crew had
ever been heard of.
Two suits of diving dress were sent
on board, with the accompanying
pumps and other arrangements, and