LOST MILLIONS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5023, 6 September 1926, Page 1

LOST MILLIONS.

CZAR’S TREASURE HIDDEN.

MONGOLIAN DESERT SECRET.

(By John Langdon Jukes.)

Deep in the heart of the mysterious Mongolian Desert is said to be buried a wonderful collection of gold and silver ornaments and matchless gems — part of the amazing treasure of the Czars.

Five years it has lain there, according to the story, buried safe; and secure in a secret cache the exact position of which may never be revealed.

Five years ago a certain Baro'n Ungun, an adventurous, dashing figure whose exploits are to-day talked of with something akin to awe in certain parts of North-East Asia, carried out a coup that eventually cost him his life. Accompanied by a trusted little, band of Cossack rideife, of the plains, he swooped down on a certain spot in Eastern'Russia and rode forth aga.in with a king’s ransom tie.d to the saddle-bows of his party. He had seized from under the noses of its Bolshevik guard a portion of the Czar’s treasure—a haul worth many millions,.

With his wild-riding Cossacks he rode out into the Mongolian De.sert and, coming to a place that by its remoteness from the haunts of men satisfied him, ordered his men to dismount, dig a cache, and bully the hoard. With a cold eye he watched them complete this work and then, coolly drawing his revolver, with his own hand he shot doiwn every member of his little band. Satisfied that his secret was safe and could henceforth be known only to one man—himself —he leaped on his horse and rode away. A COSSACK’S STORY. A short while afterwards, however, he was successfully hunted down by some Bolshevik cavalry sent out specially to track him. They questioned him a,bout the treasure he had taken, but, despite torture, he resolutely refused to reveal where it was. buried. He was finally shot, and carried his secret with him. There have been a number of attempts made since then to locate, the spot where lies that buried fortune. All have 'failed. The last, financed by some Italian merchants living in the northern cities, of China, met with disaster, members of the expedition dribbling back to civilisation from out the desert by ones and twbs after suffering terrible, privations. A fresh attempt will, shortly be made, probably from Shanghai, as the result of the arrival in that port of an ex-Cossack who has gripped attention with an amazing story. Briefly, he claims tol have been one of Baron Ungun’s band of riders. The Baron’s bullet, he says-, w umded hut did not kill him, and he has thus, become the sole living holder of the secret the treasure c’che. It may not- sound very convincing, but the line of buried treasure is strong, and the ex-Coss.ack will probably before very long be leading an expedition, financed by some Shanghai merchant or other, into the Mongolian Desert. KRUGER’S MILLION, Phantom treasure of this type lies buried according to the tales that are told concerning it, in various parts Of the earth. One of the most popular concerns the, millions that Oom Paul Kruger is supposed to have had buried in some secret spot in the veldt. In thick gold bars is that treasure, sent up from Pretoria when things began. to look da,rk, and safely cached by two Boe,r henchmen of the farseeing old President. Death'removed the only ones, in the secret before the treasure, could be recovered or its hiding place revealed. Many expeditions have been undertaken and much real gold expended in efforts to locate this shadowy store,. As the .years go oh, and the legend of the buried Kruger gold grows older and mustier, there will be tnany more such expeditions,. There will always be found some optimistic adventurous spirit or other ready to gamble on an outside chance of the improbable turning out after all to be a surprising fact. Another phantom treasure, is that of the Cowes’ Island, whe,he Captain Kidd and his pirates, bold are believed to have buried a hoard of loot seized from the Spanish Main. It is a. story with an irresistible lure, and has beckoned many seekers throughout the centuries.. But it has never been located—and probably never will be. TONS OF IVORY. But what more amazing treasure secret waiting to be, probed could be conceived than that which is supposed to exist in Africa. Not in gold does this treasure exist, but in ivory-—mil-lions. of pounds’ worth of ivorfy. Hidden somewhere in the interior in some spot yet to be trodden by the foot of man there, is- believed to be a. place where the wild elephants of all the centuries have, instinctively, when feeling the hand of death approaching, gone to die, leaving their herd to go on a-roaming. In that secret “dying ground,” amid the bleached bones of thousands of elephants, ed bones of thousands of elefants, must lie, it is believed by some, a fabulous wealth of ivory. But it has never been found, not even the smallest trace of it.