The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-08-05


the steep mountains covered with
shining greenery. Really too per-
feet TO be true: but II wasi
There are some fair shacks at
Wafer Bay. Don and Ginger Lamb
lived there for six months about
1887. Where there are eight or ten
eocoanut trees at Chatham Bay
there are a hundred at Wafer Bsy.
The ground was covered with them.
We had all we could eat and took
some away with US and there are
still plenty for the next sdven-
turer.
There Is quite a lot of level
ground here where there IL none
at Chatham. Looks as though
someone had tried to have a plan
tation at some time or other. There
are papayas there and a lime tree
that we could not find.
The stream here carried the
equal Of the water at Chatham but
not the charm of the setting. No
pools or waterfalls. However. we
managed TO battle quite frequently
the two days we were there.
There was a barrel post office
on the beach; new one, just IN
stalled lately. We intended TO use
1t but left too hurriedly to do 80.
The island is truly a paradise
to look at. The climate IL
healthy one; the days are warm
but the nights are always cool. The
water is delicious. One can grow
anything that he can protect from
the encroachment OF the Jungle.
The books say there are fish in
abundance; maybe we were there
at the wrong time for them.
The rocks on the beach at Chat
ham Bay carry a record of most
everyone who has been there. Some
sailor back In 1917 carved his
name and the name Of his ship on
a rock there, and ever since 1t has
been the custom to make a record
OF ones visit.
Dates 1888, 1s47 and 1854 are
the pioneers. After 1885 more and
more ships have visited there.
Many well known ships have left
their record. Among them now IL
the Oregon Webfoot, February,
1910" and &C. T. Dewey carved
deeply into the solid rock. Our
marker is just below that of Gov
ernor Pinchot and 1t isn't far from
the treasure, either.
spent the biggest part of day
making a suitable carving. Eliza
beth sat many hours on the rock
with the 1917 legend; ! think she
still carries that brand on her
behind.
That ship was the Alfalfa from
Boston and the mans name was
c. Winship. He was there before
the treasure was buried. That was
In 1920.
The next ship we located was In
1888. That was before Browning
and Heating went back in Is40
and relocated the spot.
Before 1854 some changes in the
topography of the island had taken
place and the treasure could not
be found. Everyone since has been
looking for 1t. You can see their
scratching all over the island. Each
trip that the boys made inland
they discovered evidences Of
searchers of other days.
On the ridge 500 feet above the
beach is an excavation 20 feet deep
and so feet long. That hole In
shored with boards and two-by-
TOURS There Ia sheet iron up there.
Who did that? There is the start
Of a log cabin half a mile back in
the jungle surrounded with whisky
bottles. Who was there?
Still, as said before, know
where the treasure il. If you want
to come down and dig. You will
need a big shovel though-about
five-yard capacity. And a donkey
engine TO move some boulders that
are as big as a house. Then Of
course we will have to figure some
way to get that stuff down here
and through that surf and on the
beach. We can do tiff we have
enough money.
There are probably some few
hundred details about Cocos that
! have overlooked but I will tell
you about II later. Be assured
now. though. that I think IL IL a
grand place. II has more than
anyone has described yet. I want
to go back to bask In the sun.
battle In its waterfalls and fish in
its bays. That island was worth
the trip down; 50 days at sea for
a week on Cocos. Fair enough.
Friday the ninth the wind came
In from the southwest. The surf
began to boom and we thought IT
time to leave Cocos. took q last
trip ashore TO collect our hog that
had been cooling in the stream.
get a bottle Of water. take a last
bath and gather some cocoanuts.
then we were off.
A gentle wind from the south
west. plus that old two-knot cur
rent took US away from Cocos
rspidly. BY shutdown we were y
miles on our way. Morning and
the island had slipped over the
horizon.
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