HUNT FOR PIRATE GOLD.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXII, Issue 4310, 29 August 1921, Page 3

HUNT FOR PIRATE GOLD.

SOUTH SEA EXPEDITION.

ONLY NATIVE BONES FOUND.

Another quest for the £20,000,000 Peruvian treasure buried in the mystic south seas by ancient pirates has failed, adding another chapter to the long story pf fruitless searches for the cache of gold doubloons. Only a few cannibal bones hidden beneath a native altar rewarded the expedition in its search for heavy sea chests of treasure. Captain James T. Houghton, surgeon to the expedition, has told the story of the hunt. The hunt for the buried gold centred on the island of Tubal, a reef ring fifteen miles across and also the most northern one of the Society group. Acting on a lead obtained from an aged sea captain who had sailed the south seas during the most romantic days, a Captain Brown, the expedition spent three weeks digging and blasting on the island. Only after every possible hiding place had been searched did the treasure seekers decide to give up the quest and ‘return ; to New York to confer again with the aged mariner.

The party left New York on December 11 in the yacht Genesee-. She reached New York on the return trip in June. Before starting on the hunt,, the promoters, including Captain Arthur L. Crowley, of Boston; Captain James Munn, of Texas ; Captain. Leonard Miller, and Captain Edward Kendall, of Babylon, Long Island, bought the sailing yacht for £15,000, equipped her for several months’ cruise, and, posing as an expedition for making moving pictures, obtained from Captain Brown directions where to find the supposed treasure.

Captain Houghton said : “ Brown’s tale that he knew where ‘the gold was hidden was carefully investigated before the expedition was organised. Brown said he had learned of the treasure when he was a cabin’ boy sailing the South Pacific. He sailed under a sailor w'ho really knew vj where the treasure was originally hidden on the islands of Cocos.- Then one day Brown said his captain went to Cocos and removed most of "the gold to Tubai. Then the captain turned pirate, and, capturing three other vessels, added them! to the cache. AU of his statements were carefully verified before the promoters started out to sell 200,000 dollars’ worth of stock. In London it was learned that ships had disappeared under the conditions as described by the old sailor. The old sailor also said that his captain had taken 500,000 dollars of the treasure to Australia and deposited it in a bank there. It was also learned that several secret expeditions in search of the Peruvian treasure supposed to have been hidden in Cocos had failed, the leaders expressing a belief the gold had been removed. This checked with Captain .Brown’s statements. Thereupon the Brown Exploration Company was organised, and to finance that company the South Pacific Film Company was formed. The stock was sold, one-half of the proceeds to -be divided among the stockholders and the other half to go to Captain Brown. .

“On February 27 the party sailed from Tahiti for Tubai, and, pretend-' ing that, the object of the expedition was for making a motion picture dx*ama, the search, for the treasure began. The twenty members of the crew were, not in the secret-. Then, when the native alltax* where Captain Brown said the treasure was buried was found, there was great excitement among those in the know. Bur aftei* digging down to w,ater no sea chests were found. Several other altars were dug jxp, but nothing was found but the bones of natives. Some of the promoters still believe there is something in Catpain Brown’s tale, and are preparing to make another search for the hundred million dollars or more in doubloons and Australian gold dust.”