COCOS ISLAND

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 August 1934, Page 4

COCOS ISLAND

LONE SEARCHER RESCUED. Rescued as a, starving castaway, his rude shelter demolished by rains, and his scanty si ore of flour and rice destroyed by weevils, Mr. George Cooknell, a gold diviner, returned to England on June 14 last after a lone search foi the pirate treasure on Cocos Island, off Costa Rica, Central America. Mr. Cooknell was rescued by the steam-yacht Stranger, owned by Captain Fred Lewis, the American millionaire. Differences arose as the StantonCocknell Cocos Island expedition was due to sail from Pembroke Dock, South Wales, in the 70-tou auxiliary yacht Romance, in October last, reported the ‘'Scottish Daily Express” on June 13. Mr. Cocknell resigned, and Captain Stanton sailed with 12 other treasure hunters. When the Romance arrived at Cocos Island, the expedition found that Mr. Cookncdd had arrived alone three weeks before. He had sailed by liner to Panama, and thenco to Cocos by the sailing ship of an author named Valentine. When Mr. Cooknell jumped ashore from a liner at Tilbury Docks. London, on June 14, he told the “Daily Express” that he had located the hidingplace of the treasure buried on the island. His expedition had failed ' only because it was a one-man show. 1 He claimed to have found the hiding- i place within five minutes of divining with twig and motorscopc. When he had a disagreement with 1 the other members of the original ex- < pedition, he sold out his share, he v said, and trusted to luck in meeting s someone at Balboa, the setting-offtl

place for Cocos, who would join forces with him. He ran into an American archaeologist and his father, who were about to visit Cocos. “I set up camp on one of the three landing places,” continued Mr. Cooknell. “My tent was made from the schooner’s foresail, and I had a camp r, cot. I had brought six mouths’ sup5, ply of rice, sugar, flour, beans, corned e beef, *and tinned salmon and milk. cl “1 at once began to explore, the o beaches and tho jungle. It was just e when I had discovered signs which a told me that I was on very ‘warm 1 ground,’ that to my amazement my 1 old colleagues of the original expediy tion turned up in the ketch. I think a they were even more surprised than I and the atmosphere became rather . strained. 5 “1 had to stop divining, and for i some days it became a question of t ‘dog watching dog.’ I was left to iny- » self after a time, and continued my . divining with such success that I am t convinced I have found the spot, > “It is my view that the treasure was [ buried in a cave at the foot of 1 one of [ the many steep cliffs, and that the top > of the cliff was then blasted away for [ tho debris to conceal it. Before I got i the ‘sign’ X with my motorscope, I ■ had to excavate several feet, and 1{ would have gone on digging, but as a one-man task it was impossible, and < felt I was being watched. I began to dig all over tho place after that, just i to outwit the other expedition, realis- ; ing that they would think I was on a fool’s errand, and would quit the is- 1 land. They did, and I was left to my- < self. But 1 could do nothing more < without the requisite labour. “It was late one night when my < food reserves were so depleted that I t coii,ld last out only nine more days : with one meal a day, that hope of . - salvation camp. I was going down to ] the river to get a drink, when I saw

far out to sea a ship’s light. Fortunately, I had a little paraffin in my reading lamp, and, placing it on a box in a prominent position, I flashed S.O.S. After what seemed an eternity, my call was answered. The vessel came alongside, and four men sprang ashore, the first being Captain F. E. Lewis, millionaire owner of the vessel, the yacht Stranger. He readily assented to take me to Balboa, where I took the liner Rangitata home to Britain. lam off to Coventry now to see my mother and get my foot right. Then I shall get busy again on my next trip.”