The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-07-13

time fishing in the bay and exploring
the mountains. The old fellow would
not take any recompense for his hos
pitality, so the only thing 1 could do
was to present him with a fresh sup
ply of okolehao, which stuff seemed to
do his rheumatics a lot of good.
As 1 was about to take my departure
for Honolulu, the old man said Look
her, young fellow, I've taken a great
liking to you, and I've been thinking
to myself that couldn't do better than
put you on to the Kaahumanu dollars.
They wouldn't do me any good anyhow,
leave them to-. He accordingly babe
me sit down beside him on the lanai
and described to me infinitely the bear
ings of the cave. Like a good many
English sailors Of a previous genera
ton he could neither read nor write,
but he had an excellent memory. At
ter thanking him for his many kind
ness, bid him goodbye, got on board
schooner which lay out in the bay.
Il soon forgot all about my old
beachcomber friend and his tale of hid
den treasure. until about five years ago
when 1 happened to be once more in
Kona to look for a suitable ranch to
grow coffee and vegetables for the San
Francisco market. One evening after
having tramped all day over endless
oceans of IA and pahoehoe lava I found
myself at Napoopoo on the other side
of the bay where my old English friend
had lived. Being in this locality re-
called to memory the history of the
Kaahumanu treasure, and I made UP
my mind to search for the cave. I did
so, and did not succeed in locating the
spot until after a toilsome exploration
of the hot lava tract where 1 was led to
believe the cave was situated. The
natives passing along on donkeys or
horseback when they caught sight of
me out on the bare lava rocks wonder
ed what the haole pupule was up to.
quieted their inquisitiveness by show
ing a box compass slung over my
shoulder and explaining to them that I
was taking a preliminary survey for a
new road which was to run from the
beach to the upper government road.
The narrow entrance to the cave was
closed up with stones, but was discov-
cred by bearings taken from a pecu-
liarly shaped hummock of reddish col
ored lava to the right of the cave. I
found the interior just as the old
the passage Ions, low and tortuous,
with several side caves leading away
into the breast of the mountain, and
finally I came to the place where the
would not be able to do anything fur
Their without the use of giant powder
and drills, I wended my way back to
Napoopoo, dreaming of the boundless
wealth which 1 was soon to handle.
did finally lay my hands on the
coin? Now you're talking! 1 had just
got back to the Chinese joint at Ma
poopoo when the steamer for Honolulu
came along with the news telephoned
over from Hilo, that the Maine had
been blown up, that war was declared
and that the President had called for
$780, 900 volunteers. I knew perfectly
well that the treasure was quite safe
where it was, in fact safer than if in a
bank, so I thought I'd leave it where it
was in the meantime and go and have
a shot at the dagoes. I Immediately
boarded the steamer, caught the first
boat for the Coast and enlisted in the
California Volunteers. We were sent
to Manila and after a lot of fighting
and bush whacking we were paid off.
Instead of returning with the regiment
to the States I stayed behind in Ma
Mia and left there about the same time
as Volcano Marshall.
Whats that? I'm stuffing you?
Well here you can see for yourself the
same old 1870 Spaniard dollar hanging
to my watch chain that the old man
gave me and what more do you want,
and say by the bye, you don't happen
to have on you such thing as a five
do you? Thanks, much obliged. Here's
luck"