The San Francisco call., 1898-04-09

chart of the hiding place of the treas ure in existence, and it is zealously guarded The chart is yellow with age and l have proven that it is cor rect. l was not on the island an hour when I stood on the spot where the wealth lies hidden. Not far under my feet at that moment was a fortune for a hundred men. It will, though, take some work to get it. The topography of the island has changed a great deal since Captain Keaton of the treasure bark Mary Dea and his mate, Thomp- son, slipped out of the harbor of Callao with the wealth of the Peruvians on board and hid it under the sands of the little atoll.
 The chart I now have and which led me to the spot where the gold and jewels lie buried was made by Captain Keaton and he took the precaution to make it when he was hiding the wealth so that he could find his way back to the spot whenever he should have an opportunity to return to the island. Only once since then did that oppor- tunity arise. Captain Keaton and friend, Captain Rogue, fitted out an ex- petition at Boston and set sail for the island. They reached the place without difficulty, but the crew, which was a mixed one. got wind of the purpose of the voyage and Keaton and Rogue be- came alarmed at their conduct and thought it best not to take any more of the hidden wealth aboard their ves- sel than they could conveniently carry concealed about them. They unearthed the treasure and took only about $20,000 each and sailed away with it after care fully covering what tLey were com pelled to leave behind. Keaton's friend was drowned on the return voyage and the gold he had recovered went to the bottom of the sea with him. Keaton on his return to Boston where his fam fly lived made a great display of his suddenly acquired wealth. His daugh- ter was covered in blaze of jewels and the gems were set in manner long since forgotten in the jewellers art. The daughter married a man named Young not long before the father died and Keaton confided the secret of the hidden treasure to his son-in-law, at the same time giving him the chart of the hiding place on the South Pacific isle
 Young wandered about the country and few months ago l met him in Mexico. I befriended him in more ways than one and he confided to me the secret of the Cocos Island treasure. Ar rangements were made with him to fit out an expedition to search for the hid den wealth and a nr-'ber of Pittsburg capitalists became interested in it. The result of it was that the Vine was char tered to carry the party of treasure hunters and I was sent as the leader of the expedition. The chart Young re- ceived from his father-in-law was cor rect. It led us direct to the spot, but the circumstances were such that we could not disturb it.
 Tn the first place we were afraid to take it from the island without a prop CT agreement with the Government that now controls the little piece of land in the middle of the Pacific. Be- sides the crew of our vessel was such that we could not trust it. Captain Burns did not treat us as he agreed to when we chartered his vessel Then 1t would have required considerable work to get the treasure out of the ground. The heavy rains that fall on the islands almost continuously have changed the topography of the country and tons and tons of earth have been carried by the floods and deposited over the spot where the wealth lies hid den. It would take many days for our party to uncover 1t. When we go back we will have big force of workmen with us, and we will make the trip in a steamer that will be under our con- trol entirely.
 "our party arrived at Coeos Island