The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-09

-LaFge Amount ~ Earth Exea-
waited. Dat Net Pfece Of BslIisn
Ner . Shred Of Eviaenee Feuna.

Somewhere buried under tons Of black.
.oamy soil. on the tropical isls Of Cocos.
lies = treasure OK gold and silver and pre-
eious stones rich beyond even the dreams
OF Monte Cristo. At least. this 10 the
story that has been told at insrequent
periods for moro than three score years
aSone. More than one fortune has been
wasted In futile attempts to locate this
hidden mine Of wondrous wealth. And
stiii the military governor and principal
inhabitant Of the spot maintains possess
sion Of the coffee plantation In which, It
Is said. the sacks Of precious gold and
jewels lie inferred.
The schooner Vine is one Of the treasure
searching ships that has recently returned
from an unsuccessful cruise In quest Of the
Peruvian millions which a British sea cap
tain sto.e sixty-three years ago from tho
city government OF Lima, then invested
oy the hostile Chileans According TO the
legend OF the treasure island, as the isle
OF Cocos Is termed. the Peruv.ans, believ-
ing that their city was in imminent danger
OF capture by the Chileans, gathered to-
gether the treasure of the city and placed
1t aboard the British ship Mary Dea- One
dark night. when the danger from the in
vaders had grown less. the skipper Of the
Mary Dea spread all sail ana headed
straight for Cocos island.
According to the legend OF Cocos. the
captain or the Mary Dea landed his men
ana treasure safely on ths paim-coyered
island. then uninhabited. and sailed AWAY.
de was pursued shortly after hy the Peru
Wan ships. Not long after his escape from
these his craft was wrecked on q barren
rock 30 miles from the treasure island.
ana the crew was picked up by an Ameri-
can whaler and taken to San Francisco.
Capt. John E. Burns. Of San Francisco.
owner or the trim and staunch schooner
Vine. arrived in Seattle yesterday, and
VIII pass a day or two in this city in ar.
ranging for tho departure OF his vessel
70 st. Michael. A few days before the
Vine lest San Francisco for Seattle she
landed ut the Golden Gate with her party
or nineteen disappointed treasure chasers
from the Isle OF Cocos. where they spent
the winter In fruitless efforts to locate the
SS.NooV OF Peruvian treasure. At the
Rainier-Grand last night Capt. Burns fold
an interesting story OF the expedition to
Cocos island, Of the time and money that
had been spent by the British government
IN an unavailsng effort to find the golden
booty. Just before the Vine touched at
tie narbor OF Cocos, H. n. s. Imperieuse.
tho flagship Of the British squadron Il,
North Pacific waters. had landed large
party OF men equipped with dynamite.
piasting powder and tools with which to
prosecute the search for the hidden wealth.
Gissler's plantation" said Cant. Rurns
and dug holes all over the island. but
al 10 no purpose. The location OF the
treasure, which many people believe will
some DAY reward the patient efforts Of
some enterprising Individual. Il as much
mystery az when the story was f,rst
gwen out many years ago.
Inc Vine was chartered by a party Of
weaIny pennsylvania people last summer
20 take them on cruise down the coast If
Mexico and Central America and fhercs
70 Cocos island. where they proposed TO
put in the winter digging for the hidden
sold and silver plate and coins which thew
believed lay buried under the soil or fha
Island. We left San Francisco in the an
tunn with twenty passengers and touched
At Guatemala, San Salvador and other
points OF interest along the coast. BY
november We were anchored in the snug
harbor OF Cocos island and the men in
the party set about making preparations
10 nnd the hidden treasure. Well, we speut
very enjoyable winter there but when
spring came and we were ready to satl
for San Francisco the treasure hunters had
not yet succeeded in finding the object Of
their hopes and dreams,
"Cocos island is not far from the euua-
tor and 1t Is beautiful spot in which to
sojourn during the cold season In this clir1-
ate. The Island Hes within the rain belt
and showers are Of almost daily occur
renee. Sometimes IL rains every day for
considerable period and then there will
come one or two and once In q while three
dry days together. These are compare
lively rare. however. The rain usually de-
sends In showers and sometimes lasts
for an hour or more and is very severe.
II remember one time while on the coast
OF the island the rainfall for three days
aggregated thirty inches. Think OF IL. an
average OF ten inches a day. 1t filled our
boats and water tanks with fresh water.
but we were not sorry when the cessation
came.
"A German named Gissler Ia the prinrl-
pal resident OF Cocos island Except for
the little colony which he has gathered
about him the island In uninhabited. Giss-
Ter has 1s.ooo coffee trees on his planta-
ton and they bear = fine quality OF coffee,
but the crop is never sold for the reason
that there Is neither market nor trans
portation facilities. The berries are al
lowed to fall to the ground and rot. Giss-
Ter made me a present OF four trees, which
succeeded In bringing 10 San Francisco
alive. gave them to the Golden Gate
park and they have been planted In the
hot houses where hope they will thrive.
"Cocos island Ii q dependency of Costa
Rica." continued Capt. Burns. "and Giss-
Ter served az the military governor OF the
island for three years past. The ONCE n
honorary rather than remuneratlve. The
German believes that the treasure was
planted by the British buccaneer some
where on his plantation. The island is
covered by very heavy growth OF vege-
tation and trees. The forest n like q
jungle but above the tfe-s are seen the
rich and glossy foliage OF the cocoa palms.
These are visible for some distance from
the shore and the view In very charming
indeed"
When the Vines treasure hunters ar.
rived at the harbor they secured permits
sion through Capt. Burns TO dig for the
buried gold on Gissier's plantation. agree
ing 10 share alike with themselves the re-
l.