The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-05-03

was sent by James II. of England to effect recoV.
cry. He found the treasure, removed only a part
of it, and then sailed away, owing to the approach
Of two Spanish men-of-war. He was about to re-
turn, when the revolution of 1858 broke out and
he was deferred. In the admiralty archives are
all details of this ~uncompleted task. What was
easy for Captain Phipps should be still easier
with modern methods.
For the past twenty years Mexican antiquarians
have been expecting the announcement Of the
finding Of a vast treasure in the State OF Puebla.
The third royal Spanish viceroy after Cortez sue
ceeded in t~orturing from the chiefs Of a tribe in
Jalisco the secrets of the hidingplaees Of all OF
the tribal store OF gold and silver, and by great
efforts brought it to Tacuba, where it was con-
ceaed during a period when the suZerainty OF
New Spain was more or less uncertain. A dummy
treasure-train was organized and started for Vera
Cruz, and the word went forth that 1t carried the
treasure. Some weeks later the real treasure,
train OF one hundred and eighty mules set out
with only the usual small guard.
In some way the word got abroad, and the train
was attacked by a mixed force of adventures
and Indians at Il point within sight OF the white
tops Of Popocatepetl and Gxtaccihuatl. The de.
tenders Of the treasure succeeded in escaping
with the loss of five mules and their burdens, but
while passing through a gorge on the route OF the
old trail, now followed more or less closely by the
Mexican railroad, they decided it was best to
cache the treasure.
A cave in the gorge W as chosen and three hun.
bred and twenty bags OF gold and silver, con-
tanning several million dollars worth, depending
on how much more gold there was than silver,
We're stored wa while the train proceeded to
Orizaba. Some fifteen miles from the site of the
present town the same band again attacked the
train and killed nearly all the guard. Since the
development of the region in which the cave
must lie has hpgun ito discovery is pn1V q nnttar
of time, and it might be effected with compare.
tive ease. There cannot be many gorges, and
caves are not frequent. The chances for finding
the right one are rather strong. 1t has never
been attempted.
No small spot on the face of the earth has been
so productive Of treasurc.hunting adventure as
Cocos Island off the coast Of Costa RIGA.
The west coast pirate Bonita before his death
insisted that he had planted more than two mil
lion dollars in gold, silver, jewels and plate on
the island, but his specific directions were lost by
his ignorant executioners.
A party of Mexican political refugees. several
OF them of the famous Romero family or its con-
n%ections. fleeing from the wrath OF Santa Anna in
1S48, planted under a stone arch on the island
more than one million dollars, the revolutionary
fund with which they expected to gain control OF
the government.
The third treasure is the greatest and most i'm.
portant. There is a little doubt as to whether it
is located on CQcos or is in the Galapagos group,
off the coast Of Peru. The traditions all say the
latter place, but after a digest OF all sourcds OF
| am convinced that Cocos Is the
spot.
Among the smaller treasures OF which there is
record it Is well to mention the seven large can.
non filed with gold.pieces by the pirate villazon
and buried on an island at the very southernmost
part Of the Bay of Campeachy; the reported cache
on the top of the eminence Immediately north OF
the city Of Santiago de Cuba, to be reached only
by a diflcult trail starting in near Dos Caminos;
the mysterious and probably non-eXistent Havana
treasure, said to have been assembled
at the time of the English attack and concealed
within the raInparts of Moro Castle SO efectualIy
that 1t was never found again.