The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1912-03-09

these ever-moist depths. The coral holds the rain
water in the many cup-like openings and acts as
mulch that favors the development Of the
trees and underbrush. Hardwood is the wealth
of this section of the Isle of Pines. The people
engaged in cutting the trees and marketing the
logs for the most part "caimaneros West
Indian English of various shades, from Great and
Little Cayman Islands, British possessions lying
about $50 miles south Tobacco poles, diversified
hardwood bean poles they seem to the Kansas
farmer are exported in quantities across to Pinar
del Rio province, in Cuba, where they find ready
sale among the planters.
The "caimaneros" picturesque lot upon
whom has descended the glamor of the romance
with which tradition overlays these shores since
the days Of pirates and wreckers. OF course they
are fishermen and besides adding variety to their
daily bill of fare, they increase their income by
hunting tortoise here, valuable for his SHE'LL
A voyage in one of the featherweight canoes
in which they ride the breakers whitening the
turquoise at the entrance Of ledgeprotected
cove is thrilling experience and calculated to
fill one with respect for the seamanship of these
half-breeds. Let us leave the South Coast for
the north, the real island. Here conditions
essentially different-a rolling country with in
terspersing hills and rivers in appearance remind
Ing one of the fertile parts of Florida, resem-
blance much heightened by the pine trees that
cover much of sandy soil area. These pine
trees, strikingy visible from distance, gave the
island its name, Isla de Pinos from which We
have the English translation, Isle Of Pines Isle
OF Pines! There is that something in the words
which seems redolent of the soft sweet winds
that ever blow caressingly over it's vernal valleys
The smoothness of the name is all opposed to the
idea of rapine and murder And yet for years this
beautiful island pirate rendezvous. Drake
came first, four years before the end of the six
teenth century, when he massacred the few col
on1sts he found, and from that date the fame of
the island as convenient and suitable base
spread among the freebooting fraternity.
The most ferocious of the pack of sea wolves
that hunted the in the late sixteenth and
early seventeenth centuries, English, Dutch or
French, all found security and shelter on the
Isle Of Pines. From Morgan, the knight who won
his spurs by successful robbery, rapine and MUIR
der to Mansfield who waged war single-handed
against the throne Of SPAIN all the heterogeneous
of the rovers knew the shoals and
the sheltered bays behind which their ships could
lie in safety under the lee Of the island. From
here they sailed forth to attack the numbering
Spanish galleons, heavy laden with loot from
Peru and back they again to divide the
spos and re6t for another raid.
These facts have left heritage of buriedtreas-
ure tales; but while many have dug in just those
spots that seem ideal for the concealment of ILL.,
gotten riches, yet there is authoritative evil
dence to the effect Of buried treasure being recov
cred. There Is rumor that once someone
earthed a brass-bound chest Of doubloons near the
shore and went home to Buffalo to live in luxury
ever after on the wealth SO discovered If you
doubt the tale, the chest still be seen lying
open on the sand to prove it.
The Isle of Pines presented by royal grant
from the crown of Spain to Capt. D. fernando
Pedroso in 1880 with the understanding that he
transform the pirates lair into 'fourshing
colony"-to use two common descriptive phrases.
The island passed to the Duarte brothers by in
heritance in 1906 and to these joint owners all
title should be traced. Not the least interesting