Von Luckner's "treasure"

This charming map of Mopelia, or Mopeha, comes from George T, Eggleston's book, "Tahiti, Voyage Through Paradise". Before von Luckner arrived, Mopelia had only three Polynesian inhabi tants. When von Luckner left, it became known as another "treasure island"; reports were current that the captain had buried there all the loot he had collected from the 124,000 tons of shipping he had sunk. It was also said, in PIM (June, 1966, p. 81,) that he returned to Mopelia in 1938 and might, or might have not lifted the treasure. Von Luckner was captured in Fiji soon after leaving Mopelia in 1917 and, except for a near successful escape, spent the rest of the war in internment in New Zealand. Those Germans who left soon after von Luckner did finally reach Chile, where they stayed until the end of the war.