The Treasure Of Suwarrow

Suwarrow has had a colourful history since it was named in 1814 after the Russian ship “Suvarov”. There have been many occupiers— many stories of murder and adventure in the ring of islands that have a 50-mile circumference, where the lagoon goes down as far as 40 fathoms.

These days Suwarrow has a population of just one—Tom Neale, who lives a happy hermit life, acting as a caretaker for the Cook Islands Government, at his own risk with illness or hurricanes. Tom has had quite a lot of recent publicity, and his name no doubt will be added to the many stories of Suwarrow.

Perhaps the most colourful and persistent tales have been the stories of buried treasure. The best known concerns Henry Mair and H. B.

Sterndale. Sterndale had been surveying for the Pacific Islands Trading Company in 1867, and while clearing found concrete walls, skeletons and iron vaults, and assumed the island had been known to the Spanish.

He got himself appointed as manager of a trading firm, Henderson and MacFarlane, but he was not successful and the firm sent a ship to bring him out. Sterndale refused to go and opened fire from three cannons he had erected on a small fort.

After two weeks a brig arrived containing Sterndale’s friend Henry Mair, who slipped overboard and swam ashore. As he lay exhausted on the sand he noticed a turtle excavating a hole to lay its eggs, heard the click of metal, and on investigation found Spanish-American dollars, rings and other valuables bursting out of an iron box. Mair hid the hoard at the foot of a large tree, according to the story.

Both Sterndale and Mair were taken off the island but before Mair could return to his treasure he was killed in the New Hebrides and his secret died with him. Many treasure seekers have since looked for that hoard —without success.