Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-02

ored to persuade the captain of the United
States steamer Alert to go down and con-
tinue the work, but the Imperieuse returned
to Vancouver with nothing but story.
Hartford's experience has been remarka-
bic. One of the most businesslike attempts
to find the buried treasure was made by a
Mrs. Brennan. widow of a shipchandler in
Nova Scotia, who heard the tale and OBJ
tanned a chart from a sailor. She went
across the continent to Victoria, interested
several business men of that city in the
project and in March. 1897, sailed for Co
cos in the schooner Aurora, under command
of Captain Frederick Hackett. When they
landed in Chatham bay, on the northeast
erly point of the island, they were amazed
by meeting a creature who seemed only
half human. He was dressed like Robinson
Crusoe, in the skins of beasts; his hair
and beard were long and tangled, and his
eyes We're Wild At first he could not speak,
but after they had given him whisky and
allowed his wandering faculties to adjust
themselves he told his story.
he said that some years before he had
obtained a concession from the Costa Rican
government which gave him the exclusive
right to search for the buried treasure,
with the understanding that he should pay
over half of all he found. He brought from
Punta Arenas gang of men in the little
gunboat Turalba and began excavations.
guided by chart which had been obtained
from descendant of one of the original
committee that made the cache. After
working several weeks without result the
returning to Costa Rica. The captain of
the gunboat advised that they should be
allowed to go, and promised to return with
a new gang as soon as he could make the
voyage. Hartford determined to remain,
because he believed he had found the right
location and feared to lose it again. But
the Turalba never returned, and he had
been alone upon the island he could not
say how long. For the first few months
he kept tally of the passing days by max
ing notches on Sapling, but finally gave
1t up. and had almost abandoned himself
to despair when the Aurora arrived
Mrs. Brennan and Capt Hackett were
deeply interested in this relation, Of course,
and after few days of conference obtain
ed this proposition from the solitary ISL
ander:
Il, Charles Hartford, have an agreement
with ana permission from the Costa Rican
government to search for hidden treasure
on Cocos Island. 1 was landed by said gov
eminent on September o. 1896 q think and
that government agreed to come back for
me inside of three months. have not heard
from said government since and, being in
a starving condition and with no means to
obtain food and no way to get off the ISL
land, and having located the large treas
ure, l make this agreement with the cap
tain and crew of the schooner Aurora of
Victoria, B. c., to let them take half of
the treasure, Of whatever nature, whether
geld, silver or precious Stones for their
side of the agreement, and to land me-
Charles Hartford, at some convenient port
in the United States with the other half of
said treasure"
This document bears the following In
dorsernent in the sailorlike hand of Captain
Hackett:
1.-The information we came to the island
for proving no good, we have hunted, dug
and bored, and were about to return home
when said offer was made and accepted"
Mrs. Brennan and Captain Hackett soon
made up their minds that the treasure
was beyond their reach and induced Hart
ford to return with them to Victoria, where
their experience was related to Admiral
Palliser and by him reported to the ad-
miralty authorities in London