BURIED GOLD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 159, 7 June 1937, Page 9

BURIED GOLD.

SOUTH ISLAND CAVE. STORY OF £40,000 THEFT. Linked with the report of a recent investigation of oil deposits on the West Coast of the South Island, in the vicinity of Martin’s Bay, is a romantic story of a hidden hoard of gold dust which was stolen from a mail steamer in Melbourne 50 years ago, and which was valued then at £40,000, states the Southland Times. The facts wore related by Mr H. Hubber, of InvercarAceording to Mr Hubber, the gold was stolen by three men from the London mail boat at Melbourne. The loss wns not discovered until tlie fillip reached London. Having gained possession of the gold, the thieves next, stole a cutter from Melbourne, and sailed with their booty across the Tasman, eventually reaching the Cascade River below Jackson’s Bay. Two of the men went ashore in a. dinghy with the gold, leaving the third on lyoard the cutter. VESSEL DASHED TO PIECES.

Suddenly a 6torm sprang up, and when the two men ashore looked out to sea they saw their vessel dashed to pieces on the rugged coast line, and their comrade on board was drowned. The two men wore now placed in an awkward predicament, as a.ll their supplies were on the cutter so. after hiding their gold in a cave up the river, they decided to seek assistance. Disagreeing about which direction to take, one struck north and the. other south. The man who went south was never seen again, but his partner was picked up near Jackson s Bay in a bad way, .and was taken to the Dunedin While he was there the doctor warned him of his condition .and advised him to send for any friends he had “I would like to have a talk with a miner,” said the patient. A miner was sent for, and to him the sick ma.n told the whole story of the theft .and the planting of the booty. He drew a plan of the locality, saying that, ho gold was hidden in a cave on he river below Jackson’s Bay. SEARCH FOR LOCALITY.. The miner noted iiv the sketch a distinct resemblance to the Guscade River, and a party was organised to find the gold if possible It is .at this point that Mr lllibber conics into the story. At that time be was engaged in an expedition on the West Coast under the leadership of the late Mr It. Baulin. Another member of the party was Mr Stuart, a very wealthy man from Scotland. Mr 1 nillin had heard of the efforts being made to find the gold, and .at Ins suggestion Mr Hubber quietly left the party and, after a brief exploration, ho round the tents of the men who wore working on the search. Ho returned and tokl Mi Paulin that lie had found the locality, whereupon Mr Paulin said that He would not mind spending some money on the search. ' ~ “I was sceptical of the whole story. Mr Hubber said, “but Mr Paulin assured me that ho had verified from Melbourne the report of the theft of the gold and the subsequent disappearance of the cutter. Moreover, signs of the wreck had been found near where the men were supposed to have landed. A further investigation showed that a big slip had occurred over the spot where the cave was supposed to be. Evidently the men conducting the search failed to penetrate far enough gold was hidden in a cave on the river ‘'‘Aft- Stuart announced his intention of returning the following season to conduct a systematic search for the gold, but he suddenly fell hen- to lus father’s estates in Scotland and was called homo.”