The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-07-29
| GIBRALTAR, July %.

fiji u 2. IL
l5.sls 84l a 5GIBRALTAI2,$ July %.
trTHE yacht Alkelda. commanded by
her owner, Captain Gage, has Just
returned from q treasure hunt IN
the island OF Albornn, In the Mediterra--'
mean opposite Ntelil!a. The search arose
roma statement made to t. c.. NJ Nil
cha eli. OF Brighton, by an old army man.
who had secret confldcd to him 'vher
he was a boy to the effect that treasl Y
worth S. 600, 900 was buried by pirates 81 %
the island In 1882. Nothing, however. was was
found. is5iEa ..i; Il. $3 ~ 5is
!. Captain Gage and Mr.. NlcAllchacl were
accompanied by Colonel Lewis. Captain
English, r. NE Captain Chaplain. r. a.;
the Hon. xAlister Campbell and N1essrs.
u H. Browne and r. S.3IIopkinson
Account Of the Expedition.
The following account OF the expedition
Is supplied by Il reporter who hccompar n
led It:
"on June 10 the schooner Alkeldn, r.
Y. S II 40 tons, owned by Captain Gage,
sailed from Plymouth for Gibraltar.
I'VE had a picked crew Of six Cornish
fishermen nd q young mate from me 1 g 81,
camille marine, and we were commanded
by Captain Long. who had been many
years in the service of Captain Gage. q
cook, two stewards and n forecastle hand
completed the ships company, ana = nc
fortunate guests who had been Invited FOR
the cruise were Colonel ID. y. Lewis, caps
tain English, and Captain \. Campbell.
1.-THE object OF the expedition was a
treasure hunt and the information we &C. &c
pended on was, briefly, this:
4%f'.A few years ago a. friend who owned
house property In Yorkshire had to press
one Of his tenants for rent.
This tenant n retired army captain
who was getting on in years. told the
proprietor thatsi his8soldIering days ne
Ind a private named Robinson as SER
want, and that In return for some kind
ness Robinson had told him that when
quite a lad he had gone to sea and had
served as cabin boy In n merchant snip
called the Young Constitution. He soon
found out that the ship was a pirate, and
was carrying on Its nefarious business
off the coast of Jamaica.
I'm 1892, he said British men-of-whr
were on the lookout for the Young Cons
stitution, and being laden with jewels and.
gold to tho value OF fully a. million
pounds, tho captain decided to leave tho
West Indies and made q course for the
Mediterranean. 5E
,"rhey were chased by two British fri
gates, but, being favored with fair winds
and fortunate fogs. they passed safely
through tho Straits Of Gibraltar.
"IIcre the pirate captain lost his bear
,ngs. lie had no charts Of the Medter-
ranean, and no Knowledge OF tho coast,
gl3efore long they hove In sight of a small
island. which they found to be unn-
habited and wRterless s5, s
'"rhey packed their treasure In two
great copper boilers and landed them at
the southeastern corner of tho island. II
took ten men to get the treasure on
shore. and they buried 1t close to tho land
e..y. 1T, MT, not n
then sailed away tn tho nearest.port TO get
water, provisions and charts,
Later on" said Robinson, "they came
in with two 7unnrmed merchant vessels,
which they could not resist robbing and
scuttling.
|"They were caught redhnnded. and
every ono except Robinson was hanged
ut the ynrdarm, Robinson was now INC
only living person who knew of the
treasure, and lie kept the secret nntil ne
contided In his master,
"The captain was forgiven his debt N
exchange for the secret of the buried
million,
Treasure Syndicate.
.The proprietor WAS an old man, and
not in robust health, so he waited TO
realize the fortune that lay hidden In the
island of Alboran. $40 miles from Gibral-
tar until his son was grown up,
"After tho usual negotiations With n
city firm q small syndicate was formed
md an expedition planned, Captain Gage
fitted up his yacht and undertook to con-
yey the syndicate from Gibraltar to Albo-
ran and back and to assist In the search.
s,We sailed from plymouth on June 10,
and with fair winds and two days of calm
we arrived at Ciibraltar3on the 18th. Tho
syndicate WAS not due until the 10Th. and
SO wo made expeditions 10 Algeciras and
Cadiz. .tGe.s x !.
1T was thought advisable 70 engage an