The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-23
Search FOR LOST island.
thirty Years Are q vaieahle Guano
lsIanA was Feuaa In the Pacinc-
Its L~~asios secret DetWees TIVE
uep-Dsrns 10 Try to Re-Ioeate II.

When TIE schoore: Vine. Capt JoEse IA
Burns, owner. sails for the south Af1sr
hsr arrival here from st. Michael. sire VIII
be sent OF a unique cruise In the Pacific.
wnieh. IL successful. viii maze her owner
sseh. A thousand leagues or more to the
west Of the coast O: Central America. ard
rot far removed from the tropical iatitDdss
OF the hawaiian islands. ttnsrs Is little
black spot in the Pacific. according 10
Capt. Burns. which does rot show on any
map that has ever beer published. tbs
land was discovered in 1875 by Capt Will
Jams. OF the bark Leonidas. who was aris-
en- cut Of his course By hurricane kao~n
20 be RIGA In gaano, this mysterious island
has never been seen since. it Is believed.
by mortal man. and Ii Is 20 find II again
and TO develop its latent wealth that the
rrow OF lie handsome schooner Vine will
be turned towards the setting sun after
her arrival here.
Capt. Burns believes that the island Ii
worth u.ea. ooo at least. Guanc IL fer
;illzer in great demand In California.
where IL - extensively used In the orange
orchards OF tina: state. In fact. Its use -
absolutely essential ia many districts 10
the success Of the crops. Capt Burns be-
lieves that IL he finds the island be will De
able 10 market The guano at Big profit
In San Francisco.
The story ot the discovery OF this island,
as ted yesterday oy Capt. Burns, is most
interesting. It's location is known only 10
him and TO friend OF his in San Fran
rt& szEa y1.r F4yl~ ed
This Is the story as told BY Capt. Burns.
who. by the way. is known from Mexico
10 Alaska By all shipping men:
II was thirty years ago.. said Capt.
Burns, beginning his story, that the bark
Leonidas sailed from Central American
port Tor San Francisco with a mixed cargo
OF tropical products. Her master was Capt.
Williams. a splendid navigator and famil-
lar with every inlet along the coast of the
Gnif OF California. On that trip. the Leon
idas encountered adverse winds and was
finally driven many, many miles out Of her
course. Then came calm weather and the
chip dEIfted about In southern, attitudes for
days. One day. the lookout sp.ed land to
the west 4 little black speck stood up
over the sea, not more than two or three
miles distant. The ships helm was put
a-star5oard and she bore down on the ISL
and
Capt. Williams went ashore. He found
according 10 his report made after his ar
rival in San Francisco, a low. barren ISL
and. Inhabited solely by wild fowl. II was
four miles IN length and destitute OF vege-
tation. Capt. Williams walked over a por-
ton OF the island which he found to be
covered with a rich deposit Of gnano or
great thickness. Samples were dug from
the island and taken back 70 San Fran
cisco. II was analysed and found to be OF
very high grade.
Capt. Williams realized the importance
ana value Of his discovery. None OF the
existing charts or maps showed this ISL
and. lie had taken note of it's location
and uhis ne confded 10 business assocl-
ate III San Francisco. A few weeks later
he died aE5 his secret rested for twenty
five years with the man in whom he con-
fded. He in turn told me Of the discovery
by Capt, Williams and four years ago
went In search of the island in the Vine
Before I reached the point indicated by
Capt. Williams. a hurricane drove me far
out OF my course and ! abandoned the
search for the time being. ! intend 10 re-
sumo ID again rs coon as the Vine reaches
here from the NORTH
As Capt Burns ended his narrative he
drew from his wallet ? small eiip Of pa
per. worn a : result OF many felaings
and stained yellow by age. II was pasted
together in many place. showing that il
had been carried for years He would NOT
allow the reporter 10 see die contents ~
the paper. hu; said that i, was the latitude
and longitude OF the island written hy
Capt. Williams himself. CAPT Burns
guards this little Slip az paper IA II il we're
a taensa af}-do,iar trea sury note
1t1is wiii nor ~ the sirs. adventurous mis-
sion or shc Vine, Not long ago she carried
treasure hunting party to Treasure ISL
and. where two British warships with
crews or man and much machinery at
tempt year ago TO find a deposit OF gold
ani silver, said 20 have beer placed on the
island more alsn half century ago by n
British ship. The treasure CA nss srn.r, The
capital OF Peru during the war between
Peru and Chile