TREASURE TROVE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23113, 11 August 1938, Page 14

TREASURE TROVE

QUEST IN PACIFIC OLD STORY RECALLED ISLAND TRADER'S FIND PUZZLE FOR MR. WRAY [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] DUNEDIN, Wednesday Some confirmation of the story that has inspired Mr. J. W. Wray, of Remuera, and his fellow yachtsmen to try their luck at treasure-hunting on a lonely, uninhabited island to the northwest of Tahiti that will be visited by Mr. Wray's yacht Ngataki during a cruise of the Pacific, which was commenced on Monday, is supplied in a passage in the book entitled "Annals of a New Zealand Family," published in Dunedin in 1935 and written by Mrs. Howard Jackson, formerly Miss Laura Mair. This publication deals with the careers of various members of the Mair family, many of whom led adventurous lives, and recounts the discovery of treasure by Henry Abbot Mair on a lonely island, his burying of coins and jewellery under a tree, and his subsequent failure in his efforts to return to the island and secure possession of the valuables. Swimmer's Discovery "In 1870 Henry Abbot Mair became agent for the island traders Henderson and MacFarlane, Limited, of Auckland, in the brigantine Ryno," Mrs. Jackson writes. "On one occasion, while calling at a small island, he swam ashore at night. Resting after his long swim, he saw a turtle making a hole in the sand, which it was sweeping away with its flappers, as is its wont when preparing to lay its eggs. Hearing a metallic sound, he drew nearer to the spot, when he found an iron box deeply embedded in the sand. "With great difficulty he prised off the lid, and then saw that the box contained a largo number of silver coins, rings and jewellery. He was wearing only a singlet and a leather belt, but he filled his singlet several times with treasure and. taking it up on to dry sand, he buried it at the foot of a tree. Slipping some rings on his fingers, and placing some of the coins in his belt, lie swam back to tho ship and joined his friend, and trader, Mr. Sterndale, at Suwarrow. ESorts at Recovery "He then made a rough sketch or the island where he had buried his treasure, hoping at some future time to return and retrieve it. Reaching Auckland some time after his adventure, ho gave a ring and some of the coins to a niece. He made repeated attempts to induce some shipping company to visit the island where be had hidden the treasure, but the negotiations fell through." In a message from Auckland, published on Monday morning, it is stated that Mr. Wray intends to search a certain beach on Suwarrow Island for treasure, whereas from the foregoing extract it would appear that the contents of the chest found by Mair were removed and hidden again in another spot on the island. The story on which Mr. Wray pins his hopes, however, refers to several chests being found on the beach and only one being removed, so that the Auckland yachtsman might yet be successful in unearthing a cache of coins and other valuables which has lain there since the days when the "Jolly Roger" flew at the masthead.