Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-05-03

was sent by james H. of England to effect reco
cry He found the treasure, removed only pa
of it, and then sailed away. owing to the approac
of two Spanish men-of-war. He was about to re
turn. when the revolution OF 1858 broke out and
he deferred. In the admiralty archives are
all details OF this uncompeted task. What was
easy for Captain Phtpps should be still easier
with modern methods.
For the past twenty years Mexican antiquarians
have been expecting the announcement oil the
hndng of a vast treasure in the State of Puebla.
The third royal Spanish viceroy after Cortez sue
ceeded in torturing from the chiefs OF a tribe in
Jalisco the secrets of the hidng-pla OF all OF
the tribal store of gold and silver and by great
efforts brought II to Tacuba where it was con-
cealed during a period when the suzeranty or
New Spain more less uncertain. A dummy
treasuretrain 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 hundred and eighty mules set out
with only the usual small guard
In some way the word got abroad. and the train
attacked by mixed force OF adventures
and Indians at point within sight OF the white
tops of Popocatepetl 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 to
cache the treasure
cave in the gorge chosen and three hun
dred and twenty bags of 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 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 begun, its discovery is only matter
of time. and it might be effected with compara-
tive ease. There cannot be many gorges. and
caves not frequent. The chances for finding
the right rather strong. 1t has never
been attempted.
No small SPOT the face of the earth has been
SO productive OF treasure hunting adventure as
Cocos Island of the coast of Costa Rca.
The west coast pirate Bonita before his death
insisted that he had planted more than two mill
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 its con-
nections fleeing from the wrath of Santa Anna in
lS4S. planted under stone arch Oh the island
more than one million dollars. the revolutionary
fund with which they expected TO gain control or
the government.
The third treasure is the greatest and most i'm
portant. There is little doubt to whether it
is located Cocos is in the Galapagos group,
off the coast of Peru The traditions all say the
lattel place, but after a digest OF all sources OF
Information ! am convinced that Cocos is the
spot.
Among the smaller treasures of which there is
record It is we'll to mention the large can
non filled with goldpieces by the pirate VillaZon
and buried an island 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 difficult trail starting in Dos Caminos;
the mysterious and probably non-existent Havana
municipal treasure. said to have been assembled
at the time of the English attack and concealed
within the ramparts OF MORO Castle so enectually
that 1t was never found again