Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-09-15
Buried Treasure

If you look over some large scale
map of the world-on Mercators
projection, for convenience of broad
survey-you may easily mark a score
of two OF what can be termed to a
certainty treasure spots.
ECgin in the north Pacific ocean.
Here, four hundred miles off Central
America, Is Cocos island, which in
Olden days was the secret store place
of Davis and Kidd, and in more re-
cent times of the redoubtabe pirate
Bonito. 1t is simply honeycombed
with caches that until now have de-
fled the efforts of all seekers Then
there are the Clipperton Islands and
the Galapagos group; brakes island,
hich is known, too, as the Isle of
Plate: Juan Fernandez of Robinson
Crusoe memories. And before you
leave the western side of the CONT
nent, cast look at Lake Guatavita,
hieh up in Colombia. which still con
ceals the wonders of FL Dorado.
Pass now into the Atlantic. by the
Aucklands, about the shores of which
are stepped the remains of the once
good ship General Grant, heavily
laden with gold from Australia.
| Nightingale island near Tristan da
L uilIlit Il'ltS lltbPtN hP SN''N "
! pirate buried silver. Then on the
coast of Brazil, Cape Frio projects its
reefs, amid which in 1880 went down
the frigate Thetis. with upwards OF
Sl,000,000 in gold. The gold stiil
waits to be recovered.
Farther along is Trinidad, with its
Lima gold wares and moidores.
NOrthvard we find. of course, the
Leeward and Windward Islands and
the Greater Antilles. Porto Rico,
| nest of caches, where, moreover, Gov
ernor Bobadilla's plate, and the
famed pure gold table of nearly four
thousand pounds avoirdupois still,
| fter four hundred years, remain to
be lifted; jamaica, Cuba, the Ba-
lIamas with their numberless Keys,
and the Mosquitoes-fields too wide
to be detailed-all those were the
rich roaming grounds of early bucca-
neers of filibusters and of mere sim
lister pirates like Blackboard Teach,
| Rradish. Quelch, Bellamy. Gibbs, and
scores of other monstrous Scoundrels
of the sea-scouring breed. Farther
| north again are the wideiy-KnoWn
haunts of Kidd and Jean Lafitte. In
the same wise you may cross the At
lantic and hark back again to the
| Pacific thru the Indian ocean. and
know that in the Salvages, in the Sc
cret inlets of the African coasts, in
Madagascar-once great base for
| filibusters-in the Maldives, in the
Nicobars and in the Philippines could
be unearthed the plunder hidden and
abandoned by the piratical chasers of
East Indiamen and by the Chinese or
Malay sea scourers.
Buried treasure Is in existence. and
plentifully, on the coast and in the
islands of every great sea, There is,
indeed so much of 1t that We may
express a hope that such expeditions
as are still from time to time fitted
out will continue to fail in their OBJ
| ject. That may seem a singular wish,
| hut. all things considered, treasure
bunting, like all "get-rich- quick
schemes, is bound in most cases to
have only u dcmoraliZing influence.
English law, be 1t noted, does not
recognize any right Of the finder to
retain possession OF treasure trove
And, strange IS that theory may APP
pear there is n good deal of moral
logic behind it. Great argument IN
deed could be held on the moral as
pect OF this kinf Of enterprise and
doubt the moving spirit of treasure
! hunting may be compared to that OF
gambling OF which the essence is
hope of "reaping where you have not
sown." of winning by luck and not
| by work.