The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1912-05-10

was sent by James H. of England to effect recoT.
cry, He found the treasure, removed only part
of 1t, 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 anc
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 vast treasure In the State of Puebla
The third royal Spanish yiceroy after Cortez sue
ceeded In torturing from the chiefs of tribe in
Jalisco the secrets of the hiding-paces OF all OF
the tribal store of gold and silver, and by great
efforts brought 1t to Tacuba. where it was con
cealed during period when the suzerainty OF
New Spain was more or less uncertain. 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 point within sight of the white
tops of Popocatepeu and Ixtaccihuatl. The de
tenders of the treasure succeeded In escaping
with the loss of five mules and their burdens, but
while passing through gorge on the route OF the
old trail now followed more or less closely by the
Mexican railroad. they decided 1t was best tc
cache the treasure.
A cave in the gorge as chosen and three hun
dfeu ana twenty bags or gold and silver, con
tanning several million dollars worth, depending
on how much more gold there was than silver
were stored away, while the train proceeded tc
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 begun, its discovery is only matter
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 beer
so productive of treasurehunting 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.
party OF Mexican political refugees severa!
OF them of the famous Romero family or its con,
nections, fleeing from the wrath OF santa Anna In
lS4s, planted under a stop~ arch on the island
more than one million doiIEss 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 little doubt as to whether II
is located on cocos or is in the Galapagos group
of the coast of Peru. The traditions all say the
latter place, but after digest OF all sources OF
Information am convinced that Cocos is the
spot.
Among the smaller treasures OF which there is
record II is well to mention the seven large can.
non filled with gold-pieces by the pirate yiIazon
and buried on an island at the very southernmost
part of the Bay Of Campeachy; the reported cache
on the top Of the emnence Immediately north OF
the city OF Santiago de Cuba, to be reached only
by a dinicult trail starting in near Dos Gaminos;
the mysterious and probably non.existent Havana
municipal treasure. said to have been Assem- bled
at the time OF the English attack and concealed
within the ramparts OF MORO Castle so enectually
that 1t was never found again