Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1901-02-09
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I 01gn1heG and respectable nrm, that OF.
Daypne & Co., but it got down off it's
high horse pretty fast to make bar
gain with Barcas to bring that treasure
,, away and dodge customs officials and
government authorities. What they
offered to do after consultation was
to fit out a ship, bring the stuff off,
convert it into cash and give him a
quarter. 1t wasn't liberal offer on
their part, but Barcas closed at once,
and the enterprise was turned over to
me to engineer.
The firm had 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 merchant
man. Barcas was to act as captain, and
was to go along as supercargo. 1t was
easy enough to deceive the Madagas-
carites, while the sailor was satisfied
with an offer Of double wages and $500
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 ofing
we headed for the north and the island
Of Agalegas. We were on our way to
fill our craft with plumber from store
house filed hundreds of years before
and worth hundreds of thousands Of
dollars, but the voyage was prosaic.
Nnno of ovoifn1 II 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 a 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 fall Of rock and
earth. 1t was a natural chamber, ~
feet deep, about 30 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 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 it up and gone
away? Was it the plumber Of pirates
or theAtreasure house Of some prince Of
India or Ceylon? We wondered and
speculated, but we were no better off.
Our first move was to establish a
camp On the highest spot Of the island
and divide our force. took charge of |
the 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 ]