THE 'ALERTE' IS FITTED OUT.
Such is the story of the Trinidad treasure, a story that seemed to
me to bear the stamp of truth, and it was difficult to conceive
that--allowing Captain P----'s narrative to be correct, and there is
every reason to believe it as such--so many coincidences could have
collected round a mere fabrication.
It is highly improbable that the foreign quartermaster evolved the
whole matter from an imaginative brain, especially on his deathbed,
when he was professing to confide a valuable secret to a friend as a
token of his gratitude; neither can his statements be considered as
being the ravings of a sick man, for they were far too circumstantial
and compatible with facts.
In the first place, his carefully prepared plan of the island, the
minute directions he gave as to the best landing, and his description
of the features of the bay on whose shores the treasure was concealed,
prove beyond doubt to myself and others who know Trinidad that he, or
if not himself some informant of his, had landed on this so rarely
visited islet; and not only landed, but passed some time on it, and
carefully surveyed the approaches to the bay, so as to be able to
point out the dangers and show the safest passage through the reefs.
This information could not have been obtained from any pilot-book. The
landing recommended by previous visitors is at the other side of the
island. This bay is described by them as inaccessible, and the
indications on the Admiralty chart are completely erroneous.
And, beyond this, the quartermaster must have been acquainted with
what was taking place in two other distant portions of the world
during the year of his professed landing on the desert island. He knew
of the escape of pirates with the cathedral plate of Lima. He was also
aware that, shortly afterwards, there were hanged in Cuba the crew of
a vessel that had committed acts of piracy on the Peruvian coast. It
is scarcely credible that an ordinary seaman--even allowing that he
was superior in education to the average of his fellows--could have
pieced these facts together so ingeniously into this plausible story.
It is needless to say that one like myself--who knew Trinidad, and who
had personally sifted the evidence, and was constantly coming across
numbers of incidents not mentioned here, trifling in themselves, but,
taken together, strongly corroborative--would be more impressed by the
coincidences, and consequently be more inclined to give credence to
the story than one who merely reads the narrative in the pages of this
book.
Hence the result of my interview with Mr. A---- was that I decided to
sail to Trinidad and search for the treasure. I knew, of course, that
the chances were greatly against my finding anything. I was quite
prepared for complete failure; but I considered that there was a
sufficient possibility of success to make the venture worth the
undertaking.
I, of course, saw that the great impediment was the landslip, which
might have covered the landmarks, and so altered the features of the
ravine as to render recognition of the exact spot extremely difficult;
for it is quite possible that young Mr. P---- was somewhat
over-sanguine, and that the grounds for his so readily identifying the
pirate's hiding-place were inadequate.
The former adventurers seem to have considered that the difficulties
of landing constituted almost as great an obstacle to success as the
landslip itself; but I was confident that these difficulties were
anything but insuperable, and that, by taking proper precautions, it
would be quite possible to land a working-party with all necessary
stores and tools, and even, if necessary, heavy machinery as well. I
had myself, nine years previously, landed at three different points of
the island, and had passed several days on shore, so I quite realised
what was before me.
There is no doubt that the former adventurers failed from
precipitancy. Patience is a necessary quality for those who wish to
land on Trinidad. One must not expect to sail there and forthwith
disembark with one's baggage as if it were on Southsea Pier. It
appears, too, that the captains of the square-rigged vessels which
carried the expeditions to the island were largely responsible for the
failure of the former quests; they would not approach the islands
within several miles; they became anxious as to the safety of their
boats and men, were fidgety to sail away again to the safety of the
broad ocean, and hurried the adventurers off the shore before they had
had scarce time to look around them. The captains, no doubt, were
quite right from their point of view; but it is also certain that the
treasure could never be recovered by this way of going to work. To dig
away the landslip would involve many months of labour, and during that
time the captain of the vessel must be prepared to stand off and on,
or heave to off the island--for to remain at anchor for any length of
time would be dangerous. And again, there must be no hurry in landing:
the working-party may have to remain on board the vessel for weeks at
a stretch gazing at that wild shore, before it be possible for them to
attain it. I have seen the great rollers dashing on the beach with a
dreadful roar for days together, and the surf--as the 'South Atlantic
Directory' observes without any exaggeration--'is often incredibly
great, and has been seen to break over a bluff which is two hundred
feet high.'
Notwithstanding this, if one is patient and bides one's opportunity,
there are days when landing can be accomplished without any difficulty
whatever.
When I visited Trinidad with the 'Falcon' I discovered one especially
safe landing-place on the lee side of the island, where a natural pier
of coral projects into the sea beyond the breakers. I knew that it was
possible to effect a landing here ten times to once that this could be
done on the more exposed beach of the bay under the Sugarloaf, where
the 'Aurea' party landed. A considerable and, I believe, perennial
stream of water runs down as a cascade into the sea close to my
landing-place, and I knew that it would be easy to disembark here a
quantity of provisions, and establish a depot to which the
working-party in Sugarloaf Bay could repair in the case of their
stores falling short and their communication with the vessel being cut
off by bad weather. I had myself crossed the lofty mountains which
separate this landing-place from the bay under the Sugarloaf, and knew
that, though difficult, they were not inaccessible.
My negotiations with Mr. A---- terminated in his furnishing me with
the bearings of the hidden treasure, and handing over to me the copy
of the pirate's plan of the island, which the 'Aurea' people had taken
with them. This plan merely indicated the safest landing-place in the
bay.
Mr. A----'s account of his own experiences were of great service to me
in fitting out this expedition. He told me that there was no constant
stream of fresh water on the shores of this bay, or anywhere near it;
but that a little water of an inferior quality could be collected
after rain. There was, however, according to him, an abundance of dead
wood on the hill-sides, which served admirably as fuel; so I took note
that a condensing apparatus would be an indispensable addition to our
stores. He told me that I should find the 'Aurea' tools lying on the
beach, which if not too corroded, might be of use to us. We did
eventually find some of these, and employed them in our operations: I
have now in my possession an 'Aurea' pick which I brought away with
me. I have to thank Mr. A---- for a variety of valuable hints, which I
did not neglect.
Having decided to go, the first thing to be done was to find a vessel,
a fore-and-after which could accommodate thirteen or fourteen men on
an ocean voyage, and which could yet be easily handled by two or three
while hove to off the island.
I went down to my old headquarters, Southampton, and explained what I
was in search of to Mr. Picket, of West Quay, who had been my
shipwright from my earliest yachting days, and who fitted out the old
'Falcon' for her long voyage. With his assistance I soon discovered a
very suitable vessel, the cutter-yacht 'Alerte,' of fifty-six tons
yacht measurement, and thirty-three tons register. This was,
therefore, a considerably larger vessel than the 'Falcon,' with which
I had made my first voyage to Trinidad, for she was twenty-four feet
shorter than the 'Alerte,' and was only of fifteen tons register.
The dimensions of the 'Alerte' are as follows:--length, 64.3 feet;
beam, 14.5 feet; depth, 9 feet. She was built by Ratsey of Cowes in
1864, so she is rather an ancient vessel; but she was constructed in a
much stronger fashion than is usual in these days, of thoroughly
seasoned teak. There had been no scamping of work in her case, and
now, after twenty-six years of service, she is as sound as on the day
she left the stocks; there is not a weak spot in her, and she is in
fact a far more reliable craft than a newer vessel would have proved;
for, even as a human life is more secure after it has safely passed
through the period of infantile disorders, so a vessel, if she does
not develop dry-rot within a few years of her launching, is not likely
to do so afterwards. She has proved herself to have been honestly put
together of seasoned timber, and not of sappy rubbish.
The 'Alerte,' moreover, was of the good old-fashioned build, with
ample beam, and not of the modern plank-on-end style. She had only two
tons of lead outside, the remainder of her ballast was in her hold--a
great advantage for real cruising; for a vessel with a lead mine on
her keel cannot but strain herself in heavy weather with the violent
jerkiness of her action, instead of rolling about with a leisurely
motion on the top of the water as if she were quite at home there,
like a vessel of the comfortable 'Alerte' type.
This was not the first ocean cruise the gallant old cutter had
undertaken; for she once accomplished the voyage from Southampton to
Sydney in 103 days, which is very creditable work.
She was provided, I found, with new sails by Lapthorn, and an
excellent inventory throughout, so little was required besides making
the alterations necessary for the particular objects of our cruise. I
accordingly purchased the vessel, very pleased at having without delay
discovered a craft so suitable, and put her into Mr. Picket's hands to
be got ready for sea. While this was being done I let it be widely
known that I was organising a treasure-hunting expedition and was in
search of volunteers. Numbers applied, and I gradually selected my
crew, some of whom made themselves of use in assisting me to fit out
at Southampton.
A cruise of this description involves a good deal of preparation. In
the first place, seeing that the 'Alerte' was a somewhat heavily
sparred vessel, I resolved to convert her into a yawl. So the main
boom and gaff were shortened, the area of the mainsail considerably
reduced, and a mizzen mast was stepped in the counter, on which we set
a snug jib-headed sail. No other alterations of importance were
required on deck.
Below we had to find room for, and construct, extra bunks, and extra
water-tanks occupied all available room. A condensing apparatus
intended for use on the island was made for me by Mr. Hornsey of
Southampton. The boiler was a strong twenty-gallon drum, and a
forty-gallon tank contained the worm. At sea these two were
disconnected and lashed in the saloon, serving as water-tanks. We
carried in all 600 gallons of water. The precious fluid was, of
course, never used for washing purposes at sea. Salt-water-soap and
the Atlantic had to content us for our ablutions, and, where possible,
sea-water was employed for cooking purposes as well.
The 'Alerte' carried two boats, a dinghy and a gig. We condemned the
gig, as being quite unfit for our work, and left her behind. As a
capacious lifeboat was necessary for landing men and stores on the
island, Mr. White of Cowes built one for us--a light yet strong
mahogany boat, double ended, with water-tight compartments at either
end. She was easy to pull, considering her size, and sailed fairly
well under two sprit-sails. We carried this boat on deck on the
starboard side, as she was too heavy for our davits. The dinghy, on
the other hand, was always swung on the port davits.
As the stores would put down the vessel a good deal, we took out of
her a corresponding weight of ballast--about eight tons. Two tiers of
lead were removed from under the saloon floor, and in the space thus
gained we stowed the greater part of our tools.
Among these was a complete set of boring apparatus constructed for us
by Messrs. Tilley, by means of which we should be enabled to explore
through earth and rock to the depth of fifty feet. We also carried a
Tangye's hydraulic jack, capable of lifting twelve tons, which we
found of service when large rocks had to be removed from the trenches.
Shovels, picks, crowbars, iron wheel-barrows, carpenters' and other
tools; a portable forge and anvil, dogs and other materials for
timbering a shaft if necessary, and a variety of other useful
implements were on board. We took with us two of Messrs. Piggot's
large emigrant tents, wire-fencing with which to surround our camp and
so keep off the land-crabs, a few gardener's tools and seeds of
quick-growing vegetables for the kitchen-garden which we intended to
plant on the island--a horticultural scheme which never came off in
consequence of the want of water--taxidermic gear with view to the
rare sea-birds that breed on the island, medical stores and surgical
instruments, fishing-tackle; and, in short, we were well-equipped with
all needful things, a full inventory of which would nearly fill this
book.
Neither did we omit the precaution of arming ourselves in case any one
should choose to molest us, a not altogether improbable event; for
there was a talk of rival expeditions starting for the island at the
very time we were fitting out; our plans had been fully discussed in
the newspapers, despite our attempt to keep secret our destination at
least; and I called to mind the Yankee vessel that had endeavoured to
anticipate the 'Aurea.' Should some such vessel appear on the scene
just as we had come across the treasure, it would be well for us to be
prepared to defend it.
Each man, therefore, was provided with a Colt's repeating-rifle, and
in addition to these there were other rifles and several revolvers on
board, and no lack of ammunition for every weapon. The Duke of
Sutherland kindly lent us one of Bland's double-barrelled
whaling-guns, which was carried on his Grace's yacht, the 'Sans Peur,'
during her foreign cruises. This was a quick firing and formidable
weapon, discharging steel shot, grape, shell, and harpoons, and
capable of sending to the bottom any wooden vessel. I think the sight
of it inspired some of my crew with ideas almost piratical. I have
heard them express the opinion that it was a shame to have such a gun
lying idle on board, and that an opportunity ought to be found of
testing its powers.
Of the provisioning of the 'Alerte' I need say little, for all
foreign-going vessels are provisioned more or less in the same way;
but to foresee all that would be necessary for thirteen men for a
period of at least six months, and to stow away this great bulk of
stores, was not the least troublesome part of our fitting out.
Former experience had taught me that it would not do to rely too much
on tinned meats, more especially in the tropics. I am confident that a
diet composed principally of these is extremely unwholesome, and to
this cause alone can be attributed an illness that attacked the whole
crew of the 'Falcon' during the latter months of her South American
voyage. The old-fashioned sea-food is the best after all. Salt beef
and salt pork, even after it has travelled a few times round the
world, and is consequently somewhat malodorous, forms a far more
sustaining diet than the very best of tinned meats. The instinct of
the sailor teaches him this; as a rule he detests the flabby,
overcooked stuff out of the cans, and, even if he tolerates it, will
always prefer to it the commonest mess beef, which in odour, taste,
and appearance would be horrible to a fastidious person. But let this
same person have been at sea for a few months, and the chances are
that he will look forward with pleasure to the days on which the salt
junk appears on the ship's bill of fare.
So, though we took on board a large quantity of tinned meats of
various kinds, we also had some 600 pounds of beef and pork salted
down for us, with which we filled the vessel's harness casks and meat
tanks. This meat was of the very best quality, and for this very
reason a great deal of it was spoiled and had to be thrown overboard.
It had been salted too recently. Barrels of ancient mess beef soaked
with saltpetre and hardened into almost the consistency of a deal
board, though far from being so tasty as was our meat before it was
tainted, would have answered our purpose far better, and would have
kept well despite the high temperature of a small vessel in the
tropics.
In the same way a short-sighted love of luxury induced us to supply
the vessel with barrels of the best cabin biscuit. The result was that
our bread, long before the termination of the cruise, was swarming
with maggots and an exceedingly unpleasant species of small beetle,
and was, in addition to this, attacked by mildew. A commoner quality
of ship's bread would not have spoiled so readily, for it is known
that insects thrive best and multiply amazingly on this tempting
first-class flour.
All sorts of preserved food, jams, vegetables, &c., were of course
included in our store-list, as was also the indispensable
lime-juice--the vessel was, in short, supplied with a sufficient
quantity of necessaries and luxuries.
We got our tobacco out of bond, also our rum, which was the only
alcoholic beverage on board; it certainly is the most wholesome spirit
for sea use, especially within the tropics.
During the first portion of the voyage small rations of rum were
served out daily to each person on board. Later on, when it was clear
that none of the gentlemen-adventurers showed any inclination to
exceed in this respect at sea, the first mate, Mr. Meredyth,
petitioned me to give up the ration system so far as they were
concerned, and to allow the bottle of spirit to be put on the saloon
table at dinner for their free use. This was done, with no bad result.
The paid hands were, of course, always limited to rations of spirit.