Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1904-04-30
CHANGERS ISLAND
GCopyright. 1903, by C. b. Lewis. !

er berth as mate | ran across an Amer
lean named Granger. He had been, Hc-
cording to his statements, n passenger
on vessel cast away in the China sea,
and all hands had been lost save him
self.
A part of the island was sterile and
rocky, and amid the rocks he one day
found Il pirates cave There were, he
contcnded in the most earnest way,
thousands of pieces of silk and other
costly goods, boxes of pearls, chests ot
jewclry and kegs of coin. lie roughly
estimated his find to be worth $1,000
coo.
What the American wanted was 10
charter Il ship to fetch away the treas
urc, and when lie learned that | was /
navigator he made me an offer that
closed with at once. The man seemed
to have plenty of money, and in the
course of week he got hold OF 1
schooner which was for charter. and
ten days later she had been fitted out
for the voyage.
We cleared for port In Japan and
got away with fair wind, and dur
ing the two weeks 1t took US to wur':
up to the locality Of Changers island
all went we'll with us. He had located
the place on the chart as being abpu:
fifty miles to the east of the island at
Hainan.
Granger had been swept ashore 0c
night. lie had landed on one side Of
the island and been taken off on the
other. He claimed to remember Ger
tain landmarks, however, and for ten
days we threaded the channels of tina
islands, and he took close look gt
every one. 1t was on the twelfth day
of our search that we came to his
island, and the finding of 1t gave Us all
n queer feeling. There were no such
landmarks as he described, nor WAS
the lay of the land at all according
TO his drawings. 1t was Il totally dif-
ferent island in size and appearance.
and yet he stoutly maintained that II
was the one we had come In search
of, and that there could be no mis-
take. We carried deep water to within
half n mile of the beach, and then tho
SNHooHci was uiiIlloitu, anu We pe4A'0
ashore in the yawl.
We landed on Il sandy beach, ana
Granger headed into the forest without
hesitation. After walking for half an
hour he SAID that he recognized certain
landmarks, and that the treasure WAS
not far away. Presently he remarked
that something had worked into ms
t,II;
sho", ana, telling us TO Keep rlght on
llll we reached the rocks, he sat down
ana began unlacing his shoe. W" iett
him behind i'll a moment, rs the bushes
were thick, ana though we WaiN'd Tor
halt Il mile we found no rocks. IN to'
ing distance OF less than nlli1 "f
struck the other shore.
Granger had NOT yet Joined u.s. ana
altcr waiting ntteen minutes sent
one OF the men DacK TO ascertain tAt
cause OF the delHy. falilhS TO Ehu tht
man, the sailor kept on 10 lhe De''H'
ana lhch returned 10 us with the an
houil''hleht tllat the yaW! was missing.
All my suspicious were now aroused
ana we proke INTO Il run as we maze
1or the spot where the boat had b''n
p''ch'h anu Ielt I'D care Aor h'F5eA.
we got 10 the Shore 10 see hcF along
sue tHe anchored schooner Two men
l,"u o''" 'eiI "po"'u' anu "S we S,ooH
',''e we Sd" ''i"nsel orl>c 'i'cl'i mo
'"' 9"" at 'iic punt vi i,'9'o' "''>'
,o'''''''i'i '"'i'' " ~" iot 'i'e Si'u'
anu 9iou''u anu
~" '"' '' e"'' N' 'A' az
''m,'"' ,,. ,'''o'c'
~ '''o W" "'i'' e'S"' % U''
va '' oman 7'i,i any, an A'''''.lI'
80 f'''' '''''' Va '"0 '~. '''
,''',' III '',''' 'i''' anu We A"u oa'! ''
- mo,'" 'i"'o o'eii II" u 'O' ~
an q" ~ vi " MN III .tic o'"'' r"t
VIZ" '''' P'S'oi' ,'c eou'u ii"N S''..
'' o''V VI "' p'ioie 'ii'i N0''''
'''t' '''o Nv" 'ic "''A'
"i""S'' 'oiiouCl slio"'u 'H"' "f
AWAY WI" 'iic craft pu' i't we A0"'
=" was ,li'' nu "ou'u 'ou''ie n'i VI
'''' v" nv We n''N' oui ',u" va 80
'"''' ''''' "'E"' anu Hi'P' so"'''''s
',i'"3"' anu mn ''ioi iiii's '"i-'' "''''
sum i''u''' ~ ans" ~
mans We ''i"'e up our iiliilus '"a' 9'''''
'"i's "luS' "c uoi'c oeAoic ''c NA"S "'-'
o"''
Alt'r TWO or three hourS OF Wa'ch!ra
on our part anu having seen no SUI
tree anu from helHht OF hIIy ic'l 90.