The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1901-03-14
AN ISLAND
STOREHOUSE.
BY M. Quad.
A,aropyrlght, 1900 by C. B. Lev -


ference, with its highest point about
1O0 feet above the sea. There were no
inhabitants up to 1882. though traders
and shell gatherers often called there
for wood and water. A part of the is
land WIS covered with vegetation up to
that date but it is now little better
than tumble of broken rock.
1t was in the year 1881 that the cap
tain of a trading schooner entered the
port of St Louis in the Nautilus, to
tell a wonderful story about this island
of Agalegas. He had called there to
wood and water and make repairs, and
while his crew was at work he eXplor-
ed the island. Amid the rocks he
discovered q great cave, aud from that
cave he had taken and brought away
two elephants tusks, a box of silver
bars and jewel handled sword. He
was a cunning chap, this trader, and
he had got the stuff aboard without
his crew being the wiser and had said
nothing about the caves. He did not
report his find to any consul or other
official at St. Louis, but after hanging
about for awhile he decided to make a
confidant of the firm of Daypne * Co.
This was a French trading and export
ing firm. and as | was In its employ |
came to hear the story first hand. If
the trader, whose name was Barcas
and who was half breed Frenchman.
had not brought evidences of his find,
his story would have been booted at.
Even with the evidences before us we
could hardly credit his statement.
The plumber Bareas had brought
away was worth $4,000, but he as
sured us that this was a mere flea bite
compared to what had been left be-
hind. lie had counted go tusks, which
did not include all. He had counted
$50 boxes of silver bars, worth over
$1,000 per box. but there were others
behind them There were bales, boxes
and barrels he had not attempted to
open. aud he believed the contents of
the cave would pan out $1000.00O and
ballast trading brig. Ii was Il very
dignitied and respectable firm. that Of
Baypne x Co., but it got down off its
high horse pretty fast to make a bar
gain with BarcaS to bring that treasure
away and dodge customs officials and
government authorities. What they
offered to do after a consultation was
to fit out a ship. bring the stuff off,
convert ii into cash and give him a
quarter 1t wasn't a liberal offer on
their part but Barcas closed at once,
and the enterprise was turned over to
me to engineer
The firm had a trading brig called
the Foam. and as soon as she arriv-
ed in port she was cleared of cargo and
her crew discharged. | then began to
pick up Madagascar sailors and soon
had ten of them, with an English A. b.
who had cut and run from a merchant
man. Barcas was to act as captain. and
! was to go along as supercargo. 1t was
easy enough to deceive the Madagas-
cartes. while the sailor was satisfied
with an offer of double wages and 5000
extra. We left Mauritius with the os-
tensible object of visiting the islands
TO the east to establish trading stations,
but when we had made good our otfing
we headed for the north and the island
OF Agalegas We were on our way to
fill our craft with plumber from a store
house filled hundreds of years before
and worth hundreds of thousands of
dollars, but the voyage WAS prosac
None of us was excited over it until
the last day. and then it was through
fear that the cave might have been dis
covered by some other caller.
We ran into bay and dropped an
Choir at 10 o'clock In the forenoon. and
before midday Barcas had visited the
treasure house and reported all safe
After dinner the three officers of us
went up together. The mouth Of the
cavern had once been sealed. but had
been uncovered by a fall of rock and
earth. 1t was a natural chamber, 80
feet deep, about 80 feet wide and from
10 to 20 feet from floor TO roof There
was good ventilation. and the place was
as dry as a bone. No man could say
when that cavern had first been made
a storehouse, but judging by some of
the arms found it must have been 100
years before-perhaps twice that. The
tusks had come from Ceylon and the
mainland of India, the silver from In
dian mines, the wines and liquors and
shawls and cloths from no farther
south Nothing had decayed. There
were Chinese silks and India shawls
and Persian wraps as stout and strong
and as lively In color as the day they
left the looms There were bales of
furs from Madagascar and the African
coast from which time had not loosen
ed a hair, and the kegs and barrels of
wine with French and Spanish marks
on them had doubled in value ten times
over since they were hoisted up from
the beach.
Who had created the storehOuse?
Why had they sealed 1t up and gone
away? Was it the plumber of pirates
or the treasure house of some prince Of
India or Ceylon? We wondered and
speculated, but we were no better off.
Our first move was to establish
camp on the highest spot of the island
and divide our force. took charge Of
tie land party and Barcas of the brig,
My party removed the plumber from the
cave and carried it half way down to the
beach, and his men carried it aboard
and slowed it away. 1t was Il rugged
path we had to travel, and though we
worked 16 hours out of the "a we re-
duced the piles very slowly. AS l
checked of the goods as they were