BURIED TREASURE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 123, 27 May 1933, Page 19

BURIED TREASURE

RICHES AWAIT RECOVERY

To read about buried treasure is always a satisfaction: to flnd it, ft joy granted to only very few, must be something ruucli greater man a thrill. Every normal boy has been brought up on tales of the hoard hidden by pirates, plus the heroic leader of the band of seekers, the rival band of cut-throats, the sketch of the locality where the treasure is hidden, the damsel who tails into the hands of the cut-throats, her rescue, and tho happy ending after the discomfiture of the rivals and tho imdin" of the treasure. But the ■ truth about buried treasure is really much more entertaining than the iictiou, as anyone who reads "The Coast ol Treasure," by Laurence G. Green, will (md out for himself or herself. The coast referred to is the south-west coast of Africa. Shipmasters, wo arc told, give a great stretch of it a wide berth, for "it is roughly charted, unexplored, unknown to this day." Here lies treasure of all kinds, aud Mr. Green's book is almost a pressing invitation to go tbero and collect some of the riches that pirates and others have left oh that coast. Space will not permit the repetition here of the details of tho treasure on this coast, but a story told by tho author about Walvis Bay is worth reproduction. .There is .no diamondiferoua gravel within many miles of this little seaside resort. But many years ago "a pure and beautiful diamond" was discovered there. Geologißts and prospectors combed the locality, with negative result. One day a hunter shot an ostrich, aud in the gizzard found several valuable diamonds. The omnivorous bird had carried'them from a diamond field. Old methods of prosrjeeting were forthwith abandoned, and permits were issued by the Government for the hunting of ostriches. This kind of mining proved very lucrative. Fifty-three diamonds were found in one gizzard, and it was found that there was a profitable market for ostrich skins. In five months 12,000 skins wore exported from ATalvis Bay. .But the iudustry languished and finally perished when-after six months tho last ostrich, was shot. Tales of wrecks, .of pirates' hoards, and tho like—all authenticated—abound in this thrilling book. Another unusual book dealing with treasure, but treasure of one kind ouly and that hidden by Nature and not man, is "Trade "Winds: Adventures of a Pealer in Pearls." This is by Louis Kornitzer, who has followed his romantic trade in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and. many other parts of tho world. In this book of adventure there is much that is decidedly out of the ordinary: