SEARCH FOR PIRATE TREASURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9775, 23 March 1895, Page 2 (Supplement)

SEARCH FOR PIRATE TREASURE.

HIDDEN IN A PACIFIC ISLAND.

Captain Gucsslkk, bhe daring navigator who traversed many thousand miles in the Pacific Ocean in a littlo sloop, has again turned up (soys a New York paper) in the role of a treasure hunter. With a small

party of Germans ho loft Panama a month ago on the steamer Costa Rica. for Cocos Island, where the famous treasure of Pirate Morgan is supposed to have been buried for over seventy-five years. Several expeditions have been fitted out in quest of the "treasure trove, but for nerve the voyage of Captain Gieisler is without precedent. With a crew of two he made the trip from San Francisco to Cocos Island. He spent some time ashore, but did not locate the loot of the pirate. One of the men died, and Giessler pub out for Costa Rica. Arriving there, he secured a concession from the President to colonise the island. To do this is the ostensible purpose of the party, but Giessler did nob attempt to hide the real objoct of his trip. The colonising party consists of Captain Glossier, Miss Fisher, Mr. and Mrs. Laube and two children, Mr. and Mis. Meier, Mr. and Mrs. Pfeiffer, and' Mrs. Lang arid Straube. Thoy left New York on November 30. The party will remain on Cocos Island for about six months. Giessler carried away aboub 40 tons of provisions and supplies, and the par ie going to make a thorough search of Oho island. Cocos is one of the most picturesque spots in tho Pacific. It is 298 miles west of Costa Rica and about 500 miles from Panama. Years ago the island was a penal settlement for oonvicts from Costa Rica, and the house was loft standing from that time. Wild turkeys and pigs still roam about, and they should furnish t good eatiing for Giesnloraiid his party. Morgan, tho pirate, flourished in the early part of the century. He looted churches and public treasuries along the Central American coasib, and carried things with a high hand until English men-of-war went sent after him. Morgan hid his booty on an island somewhere in the Pacific, and it has always been thought that tho cache was on Cocos Island. Improbable stories are still told of the daring pirate's adventures in Costa Rica, of the rich vaults he rifled, the churches ho invaded, and the beautiful senoritas he carried off to his island home. Glossier first came bo this coast ten or twolve years ago, and on his voyage put into Panama for water. While there ho

met an old Spanish woman who claimed Morgan as one of her ancestors, and she told him of the buried treasure. She described the island, and gave the captain a chart showing the exact location of the Ridden booty. The captain kept the chart, determining to visit Cocoa Island when he had the means. About two years ago he chartered or bought the sloop Hayseed and started out from Stockton. He was nearly wrecked in the Golf of California, but finally reached his destination, where he remained until his stores gave out and one of the crew died. With one man he went over to Punta Arenas, and there gob the concession to establish a colony on Cocos. He made merry over the proposition when I met him, and said he did nob expect) bo do much colonising, bub that he was going bo gob thab treasure. The latter. is. supposed to be. buried at considerable depth, and he and his party are going bo dig for ib. The situation is a rather novel one. The party Is hundreds of miles away from civilisation, and there ie nob even another

island anywhere near' them. They have only ft little boab, which could not live in the Ocean, and if t.he Costa liica should forgot to go back in six months, they would be practically dead to the world. I wish old Giessler luck, bub there have been so many looking for the treasure that its existence is now regarded almost as mythical as the Wealth of Monte Oris to.