COCOS ISLAND TREASURE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15375, 9 August 1913, Page 5 (Supplement)

COCOS ISLAND TREASURE.

MAP SHOWING THE CACHES. TREAStTBE supposed to exist in the Cooos Islands is dealt with in a \ letter written" to the press by Mrs. Bridget McGowan, who resides in thu west of Ireland ■•She ■ states that' her late husband was third officer of the Peruvian barque Mary Pie, which conveyed the treasure from Lima to Cocos Island in 1855 in order: to prevent it from falling into the hands of Chilian invaders. - The Mary Pie, with a crew of 36, conveyed the treasure to Cocoa Islands, and buried it in four caches. - The shin was wrecked in a hurricane off Cocos, and only three of the crew succeeded in reaching the shore. One was the writer's husband ; the other two, .an Englishman and a Welshman, died afterwards on the island from. eating poisonous berries. „■ ; ! The third mate survived, and, retained a map of the location of the four caches, I in which five tons of gold were hidden. j His widow says that 30 .years ago he j cave the map to a gentleman who is still I living.. ; .•■ \ ':■% -•■' Mrs. McGowan says an exact copy of that map is still extant, and is well prei served, and she attributes the failure of : recent treasure l.uPts in C-oeos Islands to I the lack, of the information which this map j provides..".-;.-.:,:" . : ';'- ; " ; ';':'' : ;-.i'. ; One thing is quite certain, that if Mrs. . McGowan's story is true all the . current i stories of Cocos treasure are legends. The I possession of the map is hey strong card. J