Misc data and adventures of a Tayopa treasure hunter

audigger53 said:
BTW don't use mud and snow tires in the desert. You'll sink to the frame. That was why I used mine as "spare" tires unless I was up in the mountains.
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Actually, all you have to do is air out your tires when on sand, and pump them back up when you get to firm ground, rock, or pavement. I always carries a small 12 V air pump (and a tire pressure gauge) with me. Of course, you do have to be a little careful not to run too much hard ground with aired down tires, or you will spin the tires off the rims.

JB
 

I have learned that most treasure/mine hunting is a lot of (hopefully) boring hiking. When it is not boring, it is usally dangerous. Like breaking through a wall of brush and finding out that you just stepped off an 8 foot embankment. Found myself sliding down with my back and bottom against the dirt. As I hit the top of the berm, I realized that I had a tree branch in each hand. Don't remember grabbing them at all. So many times came close to real damage or death and escaped. Got where even seeing the rattle snakes didn't bother me as they were more than 10 feet away. Don't ever have a thorn/spike hit your base of the elbow. Hurts like mad for a couple days until the tendons heal. Oh, the doctors won't do anything except give you a sling and a prescription for pain killers. I still had better stuff left over from when I blew out my back. I still remember the wife telling me to "Have a nice time". LOL
 

Carried a 12 volt pump myself and made them put tubes in the tires. Snow tires will still go into the sand even when low on air. Regular tires, NP.
 

Friday evening is here,,,,a warm spring night ahead,,, how nice it would be to have a TH yarn alongside some cold refreshments for the long night ahead
Hello IPU,,,:)
TT
 

Happy to oblige dear friend.

Unfortunately, this will be the last one for a while; I am due to depart on my little trip fairly soon and will be spending the next few days tying-up the last few loose ends before proceeding. Truth be known, I am fairly anxious to try and ensure all goes as planned, well, most things, because I am acutely aware that it is all very 'new' to me and I am deeply alert to being taken for a ride by those well versed in the trade. But nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that...:thumbsup:

Back to the story.

In the 1820s in Bonney Scotland, there was a baby born out of wedlock to a mother who lived in a small village. This child grew-up and moved to London to make his fortune and ensure that the pass wrongs done to him and him mum were rectified. He gained meaningful employment in a banking institution and soon became a trusted and liked member of staff.

After a while in this position, this person took a one way trip to the west coast of the Americas. It was unplanned and something had happened where he needed to make a hasty exit. On the journey around the Horn, he decided that he would make a fortune regardless of what he had to do, who he had to deceive and who he had to cheat. It was a strange journey with families hoping to settle in California, traders looking to expand operations, financiers bringing their considerable wealth and power to the aristocracy in the New World who were going through lean times for various reasons and, of course, the desperadoes and shysters hoping to carry out their nefarious activities in this vast new land of opportunity and possible incredible riches.

This chap was very reticent to talk about where he was coming from, where he was going and what his hopes and aspirations were for the future. Some took it as a sign of simplicity, others as aloofness. When serendipity sometimes calls, you have to stay prepared and this chap managed to find a position with a small company that traded goods and was based in Mexico and run by an Englishman. Because of his tendency to keep quiet and carry out instructions to the letter, the owner called him around his home along with some of his confidants. At this meeting, Scot and English were joined by three chaps from the same family who were friends and associates of English. By this time, Scot had become friendly with them as well. English gave a nice dinner to them and said he wanted to tell them about a secret he had been carry for the last 25 years and had never divulged to a single soul before. This intrigued the others and over drinks, English told his story.

In the 1820s when English worked for a trading company, he was stuck in Lima at the time of the Bolivar revolution. There was perfect turmoil and apprehension everyday for a considerable period and the wealthy families, church and authorities were extremely concerned with their accumulated wealth and it falling into the hands of the rebels. There was pandemonium in trying to secure passage out of the port - Callao - and there was a dearth of suitable transportable shipping. Vast treasures built up at the port and was literally there for the taking. Some in desperation sought to bury their goods in the mountains or try mule trains to Chile. Most wanted to ship their treasures and wealth to the west coast of Mexico or Central America. Anyway, Johnny Englishman through trading connections managed to get a berth on a ship to Vancouver that was carrying vast amounts of rough silver plate of various traders and gold from some aristocratic families. The captain of this ship had no intention of completing the journey and took a detour to the Galápagos Islands. But he had not banked on the reception committee waiting there. Without taking much precautions they tried to land but were met with a barrage of fire and shot from pirates that were holed up there and had no intention of letting them land. English was thrown overboard in the confusion and was dreading being washed up on the island and being captured by the Pirates there. The ship was hit badly and slowly but surely sank. By a fortuitous piece of luck, English found driftwood and managed to cling onto safety and dear life. He was picked up by a small boat that had avoided the islands after seeing the fire and mishap to the ship when it had tried to land its crew. The captain of this boat had spied the drama through his eyeglass. English told his story to him and was told that they'd let him stay with them. One night, English found some boxes in the hold that had the name of a French company he had often traded with and knew instinctively that they held bullion... The captain found the Englishman and demanded to know what he was doing. English came clean that he was literate and knew the French trading company the boxes belonged to. The captain confessed that his small boat and ruffian crew had been hired to take the wealth of the Frenchies to Valparaiso but had no intention to and they were intent on hiding the goodies until the furore died down and they could retrieve it. They had set course for Cocos Island...

During the trip the only literate other person was the first mate who kept the log and navigation records, and he was taken ill so the captain started to rely on English and he knew that to stay alive, he would have to ingratiate himself with the devious captain. After reaching the small island, the captain circled it twice to ensure that not a single soul was there and after some hesitancy, they came ashore. The boxes were brought after they selected a 'secret spot' that the captain believed would be secure until his return. English being wise in the ways of playing cutely, suggested he would draw a map and leave markers for the captain that would be instinctively known when he returned. English purposely chose an ambiguous spot where he knew that foliage would regrow quickly and a landslide or movement would easily obscure the spot and make it seem one of a hundred there. English surreptitiously made notes of the exact location and immovable markers such as a huge boulder that is still there in Chatham Bay on the island.

After the captain, English and two others had spent some time carefully concealing the treasure, the captain told English about the "Loot of Lima" which an English captain and recently stolen and reputedly buried somewhere on this lonely island. At this moment, the Englishman only had thoughts of getting away but listened to the story intently.

Even though the captain was now an outlaw, true to his word to English, he set him free in Central America with the warning never to divulge what had happened.

English 25 years later, with his business not doing too well, wanted to try and find out what had happened. He learnt from contacts that the captain and his crew had been caught and possibly hanged and the Frenchies had never recovered their wealth...

He now wanted to arrange an expedition as he truly believed the treasure was exactly where they had buried it. English asked Scot to buy a small boat, with provisions for the five people present and they would try and recover it. After making the necessary arrangements, the motley group set off. They reached Cocos Island and English started to think back to that day a quarter of a century earlier....

English was excused from labour due to his health and age but the other four set to work industriously. There was much debris and waste to clear and it was obvious that the island was now a regular stopping spot for passing ships. There was much earth to clear but the chaps didn't grumble and looked forward to retrieving the treasure if it was still there. After some time, they found it alright, but English started to hesitate...He said he could not be sure it was the same treasure!

This perplexed the others but they realised it was simply a tactic to try and not assume any guilt as he knew very well who the true owners of the hoard really were...

The others played along to ease their own consciences and didn't dwell on it too much.

After securing the treasure, they let greed assume their thoughts and they asked English did he think he knew were the Loot of Lima might be? He explained that the captain had simply said it was in a cave at the base of a mountain. They made a halfhearted attempt to look for it but knew that they were pushing their luck.

They went back to Mexico and split their find and all became extremely rich. Scot made a further fortune in the quicksilver mines of California during the gold rush there. English became a hugely successful property magnate and went back to England where he bought a title and sumptuous castle. The three others became mining, rail and trading barons who are well remembered in the annals of San Francisco history...

And it all started with a little treasure story over drinks one evening...:occasion14:


IP
 

Thanks dear IPU!
What a wonderful,and savory yarn! I enjoyed it very much.I understand your upcoming engagement.Take your time and when you come back I believe you would share us some more yarns which you might recall and ponder in your lone travels in the treasure wonderlands of latina america....
In a way I wish you the luck of the Scot in the yarn who also travelled over the Atlantic ...May God keep you safe bro from treacherous and rascal men,,,please take one step at a time to make a sound judgement...by no means please do not take any unneccesary and risky moves at all,,,If you get swindled a bit don't worry that much as it could happen,so just move on after getting your lesson and avoid any dispute or fight with anyone...I am confident you will tell a successful story...
Good luck bro!
TT
 

OK, this isn't treasure but it might make you groan and laugh. One of the roads I would not take the truck down, I borrowed my nephew's Honda 3 wheel atv. Went down ok, a little nervous, but made it. Later coming back went up the hill and started sliding backwards, me not the atv, Found that my hands twisted on the grips and the next thing I knew, I was standing on the incline with the Honda above me. Rear tires still on the ground, front wheel in the air. Flexed knees and arms and threw the whole bike to the right. Caught my breath and went to the bike and straightened it up and drove the rest of the way up the hill. No, I didn't tell my nephew about it for a couple years. LOL I didn't know I could over head press a 3 wheel Honda, much less throw it to the side. How I love when trips are boring. LOL
 

Thank you very much, TT.

It is exciting and apprehensive at the same time.

But it is going to happen!!

Taken onboard your sound and practical advice mate.

Was hoping to take a side trip to Bolivia for my possible next trip, but it looks unlikely due to time, resources and practicality. The place I wanted to visit is out of the way and it is the rainy season. The Pirates visited it some years ago ( the Crow didn't as he was unwell), and I wanted to follow up on some leads as it intrigued me, but it shall have to wait.

Hopefully 'see' you soon with some good stories in the bag.

Take care as well and make the very most of your wonderful travels mate.

IP
 

Strange days indeed.....I returned this week to an area I have been "unlocking" for the last 8 or so years. Most years, you see fewer than 20 rattlers....Was I surprised yesterday! 29 of these rattlling wonders trying to partner up with me...in one day! That's a record around here, (at least for me). This big guy, (Utah is not known for the bigger breeds of rattlesnakes, most in the 2 to 4 1/2 foot range). This one was waiting by my truck when I got back in the afternoon...I bent over to pick up some tools I had left on a rock, and, #$%$^!!! He almost kissed me on the neck! He measured a little over 5 feet. (I have had one that measured 7 feet 2 inches, and was extremely high in elavation, at almost 9500 feet.) I wasted no time in removing him to a safer place for both of us!
rattleriseeyou.JPG

I never kill them, as they make a great survival food if you are hungry. It is of note that so many rattlers have been killed here in central and southern Utah, that I think the breed is changing. The ones that have made the most noise have been killed off, and those that were of a quieter nature have not been found and destroyed. It may be odd, but I truly have noticed that most rattlesnakes I run into now, do not rattle unless severely messed with. Maybe it's all in my head, but the last 40 years, I swear they have changed!
 

Interested Party in UK said:
Thank you very much, TT.

It is exciting and apprehensive at the same time.

But it is going to happen!!

Taken onboard your sound and practical advice mate.

Was hoping to take a side trip to Bolivia for my possible next trip, but it looks unlikely due to time, resources and practicality. The place I wanted to visit is out of the way and it is the rainy season. The Pirates visited it some years ago ( the Crow didn't as he was unwell), and I wanted to follow up on some leads as it intrigued me, but it shall have to wait.

Hopefully 'see' you soon with some good stories in the bag.

Take care as well and make the very most of your wonderful travels mate.

IP
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Thanks IPU...I wish you a thrill filled travel with lots of success..don't worry about Bolivia for now so enjoy and focus on your current travel and project..,,,u can venture there in the future more prepared...your weekly yarns in the past few months were quite nice,,,,they reminded me of the legendary Crow and his yarns....Alas,,,but i can't wait for more of yarns after your travels....who knows maybe you would run into the trio there on the streets ,,,or in the lobby of your hotel,,:)
Bye bro and have a nice travel!
TT
 

OK more words of wisdom learned the hard way.
One, If you are carrying extra gas for the car/truck, use 2 2.5 gallon metal containers. That way if one gets a leak, you still have the second for emergencies. Had a 5 gallon jerry can and the road was so rough that it popped the bottom seam. Stopped and put it all into the tank, but now no reserve.
Two know where the all night gas stations are on your route so you can fill up at 1/2 tank incase the next one has closed for the night. Did so many trips from San Antonio to El Paso, that I had the mile markers on I-10 memorized.
560 at Bourne. 378 at Ozona(truck stop the town closed at 10 pm), 256 at Fort Stockton( now they have truck stops there), Now 150 for a truck stop instead of 140 at Van Horn, 38 at the outside of El Paso for the truck stops there.
The stretch between Ozona and Fort Stockton has "Nothing" except a rest stop that is lit up as bright as day. The county police ride 2 to a car or they can loose the officer and the car. Had people buy my extra gas on that stretch of road for what I paid for it, if they had any money, otherwise gave it to them. Again you need to know where you can buy your gas after hours to get to your area of interest. My truck at the time was a 70 Chevy 6/250 that would get 18 at 45 mph, and 12 at 65 mph, the trans and rear end would suck it up. When we first went into the hills we had a 50 gallon drum of water tied in the bed of the truck and got 12 miles to the gallon. Emptied the bed of the truck and got 12 miles to the gallon on the back roads. Mainly in first and second gear. The more you plan ahead the less problems you will have. When you do have a problem, you will still have a plan to take care of it. My 2 cents.
 

OK coming back from a trip with the dog I had at the time(Ridgeback, 28 inches at the shoulder on the front seat with me), just past the on ramp for I-10 from the truck stop at mile 38. I saw 2 young men hitch hiking dressed very weird. Shorts, tea shirt and dress coat for one. Dress pants, work shirt on the other, both in Tennis shoes. Stopped to give them a ride and as the first one got to the passenger door I said, "The dog rides in front", and the dog lifted his head to look at the boy. "Yes, Sir!" They climbed in the bed of the truck. "Water in the canteen." They were heading back to Corpus Cristy. They had went to Cali for the summer in his van and picked up 2 girls. The girls asked them if they wanted to go Skinny Dipping in the Pacific. "Sure!" The girls had then strip and go into the water first as they were going to undress in the van. When the guys were in the water the girls drove off in the van. They were standing in the bushes waving at cars until one stopped and then called the police. Seems they were the 4th ones in 3 months the girls had robbed. The cops took them down to a Good Will store to get dressed. Hence the weird outfits. There's more to the story, but I'll just say that I dropped them off at Borne and gave them a couple bucks and convinced them to call their folks to come get them.
Ah, Young and Stupid. Haven't we all been there? LOL
 

Amigo's and Amigo-ettes, It's Fajita Sunday,With stuffed peppers and rice and beans,and plenty of cold beer, then good hot:coffee2::hello:hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm/NP:cat:
 

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