Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-05-19
@idHE Englishman
turned to his

@aRH E Englishman
turned to his
American friend,
ZSs.:-s@;1569M and calling his at.
ES111zsA. [ ~, tention toa guinea
STfi; A6Iy that hung from his
SNEs 81 w watch chain, said :
GSsSN, III "What do you
WRNyWN find on that?"
SNSA The other ex-
amined the coin closely, and upon
one side of the medallion saw en-
grayed in exceedingly small but dis
tinct letters this inscription, "Write
P. o. Box 1901, London"
Looking at his host he said: "What
does that mean? Is there story con-
nected with it?"
The Englishman laughed.
"Yes, story in FIVE chapters. Come
here;" and he led the way into his
library. "There are the chapters, "
he continued, opening desk and pro-
ducing five envelopes, each containing
O letter sand am going to ask you
to read them, for am sure they Will
interest you. Bofore you begin,
however, l will give you the preface
to the tale, or otherwise you would
not understand it. In 1876, when I
was but boy, 1 was sent to Australia
to look after my fathers sheep bust,
ness. Much Of the time | was obliged
to be in the bush, and when there the
hours o.ten hung heavily upon my
hands. One frightfully hot Sunday l
lay gasping for air under thorn tree
near my cabin when I noticed some
thing glittering in the dust OF the
roadway not twenty yards distant.
After speculating upon what it might
be for perhaps an hour. mustered
sufficient energy to rise from my ham.
mock and investigate. 1t was this
coin, but without the inscription you
have noted. Returning to my siesta
I began to wonder how it came there,
for not n soul had passed that way for
more than o month, except my own
men; and neither they nor I had any
gold. My wonder grew upon itself
until at last it occurred to me how
strange story such piece of money
could tell if it could relate its adven-
lures, and from that idea it was but
step 10 the inscription and trial OF
my fantastic notion.
The first time I visited Sydney, /
took the coin to a jeweler and had him
engrave it as you have seen. 4 put
the London P. o. boxer, for London
is known the world around, and 10O1
is and-saawsSs has been my box,
in Australia or at home. No
sooner was she gold prepared than ]
started it on its icurneyings; for I
paid it to the very jeweler who marked
it. Now you may read the letters"
"But," said his friend, show does it
come that you have the guinea now,
if you parted with it twenty years ago
in Australian
"Ah," replied the other, with 8
smile, "that may be termed the sequel
to the story of the letters. Read those
and then I will add that also"
The first was written upon heavy
paper, in Spanish with the following
translation attached:
H. 8. NJ. Sloop OF War, Infanta.
MELBOURNE, Mch. 9th, 1880.
Respected Sir:-I have recently received
an English gold piece which bears the fol.
lowing words: "Write P. o. Box 1901, Lon.
don." The same was paid to me some day:
since by Malay fruit trader while we were
at Batavia, Java. Not observing the epgrar.
ing until the Malay had left the ship I am
unable 10 state where he obtained the money.
We are about 10 leave for Barcelona, and
should have opportunity TO visit London
during my stay ashore snail do myself the
honor to personally exhibit the wandering
guinea to Box 1001.
With great respect, I am, Sir,
XAvIos CARDENzA,
Lieut.. II. S. M. N.
"This comes noxt," said the Eng.
lishman; "you may wonder at it's date,
and yet you can probably imagine the
tragedy that intervenes; and he
handed rather dingy sheet to the
American.
The writing was coarse and un'
formed but evidently in a mans hand,
in the German language translated Of
follows:
PRETORIA, TRANsyAAL, s. A.,
June 14tb, 1882.
have in my possession guinea, attached
to piece OF gold chain, which I think was
a watch chain. 1t is marked Write P. O.
Box 1901, London, and so do. have had
the coin some three months and received II
from a Nanaqua native with whom I was
trading for ivory on the Molopo River. ae
was chief and wore the thing around his
neck. We we're together several days. and
when 1 saw the gold piece was guinea
was curious enough to ask him where he 60,
il. He said one OF his men took it in wa,
from an Angra, or West Coast man. pre-.
sumo that fellow got 1t from some wreck OF
even from some dead or dying sailor on the
shore. II the piece is of any particular value
rs keepsake will send 1t to London upon
request. Write me here.
STEIN HUFELAND.
I The American looked up.
"Poor Cardenza! Evidently his ship
was lost and the ssvsges robbed his
body"
The Englishman bowed.
tWhen 1 received this letter made
search through the marine records, fol
] was then at home, and found that il
May, 1880. the Spanish sioop OF wal
1nfanta was lost off South Africa and
no one saved. The lieutenant's body
probably washed ashore in the Ions
ground swell which rolls in upon that
coast in the spring, and the Angra
man despoiled 1t of watch, chain and
pendant. Only the guinea will ever
be heard of again"
s'Did you write Hufeland?" queried
his friend.
''Yes, out of curtesy, thanking him,
and telling him where the coin had
started and how it had probably
reached him, and asking him lot to
return it, but to set it on its travels
again in theregular course Of business.
I had no reply to my letter and doubt
whether the Boer ever received it.