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

up by small boats and landed in Kingston, and a
Dutch %priyateer by the name Of Warrington hur-
ried in pursuit. The record of what transpired
during the chase and the fight is not clear-is
even too vague to be pertinent, but a month later
Warrington sailed into what is now New York
harbor and reported that he had fought the Santa
Marta twice and been worsted, but had followed
her to the Windward Passage, as it is now known,
and north to the islands now bearing the name
Fortune Islands, given them by reason OF this
very happening.
Here the crew cached the treasure, as they
could not enter any important port and account
for themselves and could not enter a small port
and dispose Of their hoard. 1t is positive that
In these islands the cache was made, because
when the Santa Marta reached Puerto ell Principe
shortly thereafter she was discharged. In the
Fortune Islands was the only place she could have
sent the treasure ashore.
The governor Of Puerto ell Principe was about
to arrest the crew on suspicion of their having
committed piracy, when they put to sea, and later
the hulk, burned to the waters edge, was found
near Cape Maysi. The men were never heard Of,
but, as they were quarreling and fighting among
themselves In Puerto ell Principe, 1T Is logical to
suppose that there was q second muttny with
much bloodshed, that the ship was fired and that
those who did not jump into the sea were burned
to death.
Two other galleons were robbed that same year
" INV LISNht DuL tut ubdSulbS were bdlGly
landed by the mutineers, one crew at Lisbon and
the other at Genoa. These must not be confused
with the Santa Marta affair.
The Fortune Islands are quite small, are in
habited almost solely by Bahama blacks, are al
most out Of touch with the world, though but four
days sail from New York and one from Nassau
or Havana. From the charts it may be seen that
there is but one spot where the Santa Marta
could have anchored to put ashore so heavy a
cargo, and there ought to be little difficulty in
locating the cache on the lowlying island. So far
as I know, there has never been any attempt
made at recovery.
There are many, many alluring su1kep treas
ures on both coasts. Many of these are SO IA
miliar as to need but the merest mention.
Large sums and great effort have been expend-
ed to recover the millions in California gold of the
old Golden Gate, definitely located on the Mex
lean coast.
Admiral Francis brakes Marigold carried the
bulk Of his spoils up to the time Of her loss on
the west coast near Piedranegra.
In 1897 Admiral De Points, with a combined
feet Of royal ships and colonial priyateers, at
tackled, captured and sacked Cartagena and de.
parted in two sections, the last ships being the
treasure.bearers. They were Intercepted by the
English and one was blown up by a shot into her
magazine and sank In the harbor; another went
ashore near by; and a third was beached on
Cisne Cay. To recover the treasure, location can
be effected through a study of the British ad.
miralty records, and at least one Of the three
should lie in shallow water.
The so-called Captain George B. Boynton, by
all odds the greatest adventurer Of modern times,
would have made the records Of Drake. Morgan
and De Ruyter look pale and sickly had he lived
IN the good old days. Until his death in Brooklyn
some months ago at an advanced age, he carried
the knowledge Of a number of treasure-troves,
the richest of which is an unnamed galleon in a
Venezuela harbor.
Beforn leaving the subject Of the buccaneers,
another sunken treasure should be cited. In 1886
a Captain Phipps OF the British navy learned of
a sunkrp buccaneer vessel with a great treasure
aboard On the shore or near the Tortugas and