Evening star., 1933-01-01
Urge Seek Wealth During the Days Depression Saagn
Methods Haze Gim Fresh Impetus Treasure Huniug-f You Are Inclined
nJau til Hum, Hue5Whers Your Chances of Making
Golden HauI Are Brightest

five fathoms beneath the surface. Scat
tered about, partly overgrown with coral
and SpongeS, are the ancient muzzle-
loading cannon, the iron round shot,
the wheels Of gun carriages and piles
OF the ships iron ballast-all jettisoned
by the crew in their effort to tighten their
ship and free her from the reef. And
in one spot, embedded in the brown,
yellow and lilac coral growths, Is an from
bound treasure chest.
For over century the wreck of the
Don Carlos III has lain there with her
treasure almost intact. From time to
time the native divers have gone down,
and little by little they have recovered
some $500 pieces of eight-good silver
coins bearing the dates 1874, 1910 and
1911. Still, the bulk of the treasure re-
mains undisturbed. Here, then, Is an
excellent opportunity for treasure seekers.
ALMOST as accessible as the wreck of
the Don Carlos III is that of a far
older Spanish ship that was sent to the
bottom with much greater treasure In
her holds.
Up from Cartagena and Maracaibo
came sailing the great plate ship San
tisima Conception with tons of silver and
gold in her hold. In her strong rooms,
in iron-bound chests and casks, were
hundreds of thousands of minted gold
and silver coins, blazing gems and price
less holy vessels Uron her decks were
cavaliers, richly gownel women, grandees
and soldiers, and tonsured, sandaled
friars, for the SantiSima Conception was
homeward bound to Spain from the
Indies and Panama. She was headed for
Margarita Island, there to take on the
OF galleons under convoy Of heavily
armed ships of war.
Manned by a crew of more than 100
men, with full company Of troops on
board, with her. 90 guns, her falconets
and carronades, the Santisima Concep-
cion was practically war vessel herself.
But when she was nearing Margarita a
strange ship sped out from its hiding
place under the land. The Spanish cap
tain's face paled, for he recognized the
stranger as buccaneer craft.
Heavily armed as his ship was, Capt.
fernando Ferara had no intention of
battling with pirates If he could avoid it.
His vessel held vast treasure, it carried
men and women of exalted rank and
station, and he was responsible for their
safety and the safety of the treasure.
So, as long as he could run for it, run he
would; with the harbor and the convoy
only few leagues distant, he might
reach safety before the pirates came
within cannon shot.
But the oncoming vessel was a far
speedier craft than the Santisima Con-
cepcion. Each moment she drew nearer,
and presently from her bows there was
a flash and a puff of smoke. round
shot plunged into the sea a scant hun
dred yards from the plate ships quarter.
Five minutes, ten, passed, and now
ahead rose two small rocky islets sep
arated from the main island by narrow
straits or "bocas." Sudden hope rose In
Capt. Ferara's breast. Beyond these,
almost in sight, lay the harbor and
safety. His ordinary course was well
outside the rocks; but TO round the islets
and their surrounding reefs meant max
ing wide detour and tacking about,
and he knew that long before this was