The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-08-30
TREASURE HUNTING PLAN
COCOS ISLAND ONCE AGAIN AN
ELDORADO.
Costa Rican Government Looking AZ
ter the Old Pirate Treasure-A Story
that Would have Suited Stevenson.

The port of Victoria has been the
Quitting scene of many Cocos Island
treasure hunting parties, but the usu-
al no-luck story has been varied by
the return of the sealing schooner Au-
rora. When there appeared to be no
longer any money in seal hunting.
Captain Hackett made bargain with
Nictorians who had money to bear the
cost of an expedition, and started out
with his party on the Aurora about
four months ago. Mrs. Brennan, re-
lict of a seaman named Heating, had
inherited from him what she suppos-
ed to be the secret of this Cocos Island
treasure, and, confident in the value
of her inheritance, she had come all
the way from Nova Scotia to be the
star passenger on the Aurora.
The island was duly reached, and
the place marked on Mrs. Brennan's
chart was found, bearing indications
of having been thoroughly prospected
with pick and shovel already, but
quite barren of gold or other treasure
Two of the crew-A. b. Whidden
and w. ngstone-refused to leave
the island without the object of their
search and the Aurora returned with
out them, but brought as apas-
senger Charles Hartford, an American
soldier and adventurer, claiming Rock
port as his home, who insisted he
had located the treasure but was under
bonds to disclose the hiding place to
the Costa Rican Government and to no
one else.
According to Hartford, he was land
ed on the island from Costa Rican
gunboat ten months ago, but since
then has neither seen nor heard any
thing of his patrons, and according
to his story he was willing to make
the following agreement, which tells
its own tale:
81, Charles Hartford, have an agree
ment with and a permission from the
Costa Rican Government to search for
hidden treasure supposed to have been
hidden on Cocos Island. ! was landed
by the said Government on September
22, 1896, and that Government agreed
to come back for me inside of three
months. Nine months have gone, and
| have not heard from them, the said
government, and, being in a starving
condition, and with no means to Oh
tain food, and no way to get off the is
land, and having located large treas
ure, / this day make an agreement
with the captain and crew of the
schooner Aurora, of Victoria, b. c., to
uncover and take half of the treasure,
whether gold or silver or precious
stones, for their side of the agree
ment, and to land me, Charles Hart
ford, at some convenient port in the
United States with the other half of
the said treasure"
The other parties to the agreement
were the crew of the Aurora with the
exception of Captain Hackett, who re-
fused to sign. The suggested agree
ment was declared off. but Hartford
was glad to be allowed to come to Vic
toria on the schooner. He STAYED
with the United States Consul for sew
eral hours, prevailing unon that funct-
ionary to send messages to the Costa
Rican Government. which so far have
not been answered. If they continued
this shabby treatment, Hartford SAYS,
he was willing to renew negotia-
tions with Captain Hackett. In the
meantime the captain was dishearten-
ed, but fully expects that the two men
he has left behind may discover some
thing. He thinks now that theyq had
sailed into the wrong bay, and this
theory they will test.
The paper that Hartford exhibits as
his concession from the Costa Rican
Government is written in Spanish and
dated August "a, 1896. He was landed,
with little negro boy as servant,
and they found on the island Ger
man named Gissler, with a concession
from the Costa Rican Government for
the plantation, which he now over
looks. Gissler did not take kindly to
Hartford, who speaks of him as
bold, bad man, but the Aurora party
say they experienced nothing but
kindness at the Germans hands.