Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-21

was temporarily abandoned. In 1905 one Healy|
tried for the treasure but failed and the present.
venture under the leadership of man named SMALL
hopes to find a fortune.
No Bills of Exchange Then
IN considering the stories of treasure buried by|
= pirates it should be remembered that all COM
merce done hundred years ago not by bills of
exchange, as now, but by carrying specie or bullion
on every vessel This would account in part for the
legends of loot in which pirates reveed and the
rapidity with which they acquired their alleged
wealth, since the general cargoes of the craft were
of little value they could not be sold, and were
too bulky to be buried gold gems easily
could be
Then in the days of piracy the Spanish Main a
Ceaseless procession of richly freighted galleons
passed from the gold and silver mines within the
territories held for CASTLE beyond the seas; and the
extent of this traffic may be estimated by the fact
that the craft often balasted with silver bars
like pigs of lead Sir William Phipps, famous New
Engander, took thrtytwo tons of silver and large
fortune in gems from the hold of a sunken galleon
off Santo Domingo in 1905, and several other
instances known where early gold seekers have
been quite as fortunate.
But on the other hand these conjectural pirate
deposits NAV be regarded with much suspicion
both to their number and value, because it is
doubtful if the pirate crews would permit their
plumber to be SO disposed Of and also because it
would be easy task to bury millions in gold and
gems that it might be reasonably safe. The
popular idea is that million in gold can be packed
in a small cask or box; that casket of gems to be
borne in the hand may hold Kings ransom; and
that chaCes, goblcts cruCifixes, and other valuable
articles can be slowed into a small space. No
impression can be more erroneous. Gems, it is true
are very valuable though of small size if they rank
first class stones but it is taxing Credullty too
much to claim that all the loot of the pirates lairs
of this description. AS for gold, million dol
lars in coin bars would weigh more than two TONS
and it would require strong man indeed to carry
much twenty thirty thousand dollars in
gold.
Hence great boards if found, will likely prove
less rich than report represents them while it is
significant fact that in later years nobody has
been known to come upon one, despite the most
elaborate preparations that have been made and
thorough searches of the regions reputed to
contain such treasure. The similarity in all the
stories respecting such supposed stories of wealth
awakens suspicion as to their genuneness; for
while in an isolated case might escape
~ who possessed knowledge of the treasure, yet
NJ to suppose that IN every case such occurred IS
M preposterous.
II With regard to the treasure at the bottom of
the sea- sent there by storms and tempests and
: never since recovered, it is undenlabe that it
= exists in immense quantity in all parts of the
worlds great waterways. During the genera
y tons when Spain ruled the West there must
| have been treasure almost incaculable carried
J. across the ocean, and much of it went to bot
J tom in the myriad storms which swept the
~, during all that period. The traditions of the
~% Caribbean that its shores are fringed with
the hulls of sunken treasure ships and doubt
less in future age when the navigation of
the mightiest depths becomes possible much of
this will be recovered; but it is unlikely that
any great quantity will ever be regained before
that period.