Treasure-Seekers

Cocos Island Again

WHEN it was announced a few weeks ago that an expedition from Cali fornia had recovered the long-sought treasure of Cocos Island, worth £12,000,000, comment was made in this journal that the statement should be received with a large grain of those who knew most about the matter would believe there was a huge buried treasure on Cocos Island only when they saw it.

It was announced from Los Angeles on February 22, that the yacht “Stran ger”, under Captain Fred Lewis, would sail shortly with 25 tons of machinery for dredging and digging on Cocos Island; and it was stated also that Mr. James A. Forbes, organiser of the expedition which claimed to have located the trea sure. would join the “Stranger” at Costa Rica.

It is evident, therefore, that the sen sational press report about the treasure was slightly exaggerated—the expedition only thinks that it knows where the treasure is.

The idea of the treasure persists, how ever. The British yacht, “Windward”, 26 tons, is reported at Costa Rica, seek ing permission to search for pirate trea sure on Cocos Island. She is run by three young Englishmen who fought for the Republicans in the Spanish War— Michael Johnson (skipper), Clive Smith, Frank Davis. Two Australians who were in the crew. Peter Gladwin (Sydney) and Robert Camp (Melbourne) left the yacht in the West Indies and returned to Australia.