TREASURE ISLAND.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVII, Issue 169, 18 July 1903, Page 5 (Supplement)

TREASURE ISLAND.

COLDEN LEGEND OF A PERUVIAN BARQUE. — + —

The story of how Admiral Pallister went looking for pirates' treasure on the sandy islet of Cocos, in the Pacific, 356 miles west of the coast of Costa Bica, has been revived :—

It appears that the Pacific Exploration and Development Company has been formed at British Columbia to^ recover this treasure, and the barquentine Blakley has already started on the expedition. The first treasure deposit on Cocos . Island was by a British pirate in 1821. The second and greatest -treasury, was depoj>fted_J>y the barquentino, Mary Dea. """- v. The Mary Dea, from Bristol, discharged cargo at Valparaiso, and then proceeded up coast to above Callao. Peru was at war with Chiliand Callao expected an invasion. f In order t6 save the treasury and the wealth of private individuals, the Peruvian Government sought the protection of the British flag, and the captain agreed for a handsome consideration to hide the treasure on his ship. An immense quantity of gold, silver and diamonds was secretly taken on board the Mary Dea. A guard was posted to watch over it, but the temptation was more than the crew of the Mary Dea could stand, and during the night the guard was overpowered, the cable was slipped,' and the Mary Dea sailed north, across the line. The TREASURE SEEKERS' FATE A sailor named Thompson, the last survivor of the crew, told this story of what followed :-r- x " We decided to bury the treasure on Cocos Island. Eleven boatloads were conveyed to the beach and buried there. It was said to be many millions, some of it in boxes and some of it in hides. " After she left the island, storms drove the Mary Dea back to the coast of Peru, where we were captured, taken to Callao, and sentenced to be shot. " The sentence was carried into effect against eight of us, but I, and I two others were promised that if we would show where the treasure was concealed we would be pardoned." All three died without gptting any of the "treasure ; but Thompson bequeathed the secret to a mail named Keaton, who took into partnership a Captain Bogue,. Bogue and Keaton went to the island and unearthed the treasure, but they could not carry much of it away at a time. They took out about £6,000 in gold, each, in vests specially made, and in their boots and trousers. On their way to the ship, they quarrelled, and the boat capsized. Bogue sank like a connon ball with his golden burden, but Keaton held to tho boat and was rescued. He died within a few months. ADMIRAL PALLISER'S METHOD.

Expeditions have since gone from San Francisco without finding tho treasure. The " New York Journal" states that the chairman of the Pacific Exploration Company, at meeting of shareholders, read a letter from Admiral Palliser offering to reveal the location of the treasure in return for one-fourth of the amount recovered and one-twentieth for his representitives.

Tho same authority states that Admiral Palliser found tho treasure, and not being able to carry a great quantity away, he blasted a great deal of the neighbouring rock with dynamite, and thus hid the spot where he had been working.

The story of a member of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, who was a seaman on H.M.S. Imperieuse and one of Admiral Palliser's working party at Cocos Island was a little different.

lie told a "Star" reporter that Admiral Palliser ntver found the treasure. He found a stone slab, and then the water rushed in and washed the diggers out. Admiral Palliser blew up the ground with dynamite, not because he had found so much treasure that he could not carry it away, but in pure vexation at being unable to find the treasure. It is not probable, therefore that he has offered to help the company to find it.