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Misc data and adventures of a Tayopa treasure hunter

Real of Tayopa said:
I am an angel. fearless, determined handsome, dashing devil may care, and ustopable genius. aside from this, we are remarkably alike AU:tongue3:
Click to expand...

Talking about 'dashing devil may care' my friend - how is the book going? (although I am almost afraid to ask ...)
 

I saw my first TV ad for hiring U.S. BORDER GUARDS, last night....
Any of you guys plan to apply?

I told my wife that Jose was once a border guard, and she asked "is there anything that he hasn't done?"
I thought for a while....

After a while, I just said " Nothing that I can think of." I ran thru a few that he has done, she finally just said ." I get the picture."

#/;0{>~

You can't just make that stuff up!
 

BOOK BOOK ? WHAT BOOK 0H YOU MEAN THE ONE ON TAYOPA, WELL MY EYESIGHT IS DIMMING, NEED TO GUM A STEAK LONGER, NOW SHUFLE, NEED HELP IN LIFTING MY COFFEE CUP,,OTHERWISE I'M IN FINE SHAPE FOR MY AGE, I CAN GO TO THE BATHROOM BY MYSELF AND LOOK AFTER MY LIL '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''dOVE, WHO HELPEDME TYPE THIS.:tongue3::tongue3: BUT THERE IS PLENTY OF TIME.
 

" Iget the picture? ya mean a bum ?


Resume

Railroaded out of high school into the navy just before Pearlharbor, after the war entered pre med scool, which was a snp, entered The new USAF aviation cadet flight training class, after was in the Border Patrol, too sympathic, San Quintin max security Calif, Then left to start Exploring for Mayan ruins, then full time lost Jesuit mines, of which to date I have found three,,possibly 4 counting Oro's Naranajal. For your wife's information found time for an old fashioned full formal courtship, complete with seranades, promanades, posting of the ban, and fnally marrying a beautiful Mexican gal in a full mass in the church.

My child bride.webp
Just a red blooded yankee foot loose bum.

son,
 

That was just about word for word!
I didn't remember the railroad part.

#/;0{>~
 

Hope all the TreasureNet peeps are well in their respective areas around the globe.

Today's story comes from that most ancient of lands which the old Greekies termed as the "Indus" and we know today as India.

It is a place I've been to at different times and have some links there.

It is also a bewildering, beguiling and absolutely contrasting country which is home to about 1/6 of the world's population. To our Western sensibilities, thought-processes, ordered society and programmed minds, it really can feel like a massive assault to the senses and where a perfect confusion reigns...

However, it has been a place where, since time immemorial, people across the world have gone to, to seek riches, knowledge, enlightenment and even how to improve their hanky-panky skills.

In the 19th century when what started off as a small private trading initiative in 1600, turned into one of the most (if not the) successful companies ever seen, the East India Company was at its zenith. But as with all successful enterprises, once greed, indifference, immorality and lack of understanding of the environment in which it operates, takes hold, then decline will most likely set-in. This resulted in the very brutal and unforgiving Indian Mutiny/First War of Independence - depending on one's viewpoint - of 1857.

As battles and hate ruled the day during the outbreak, there was a magnificent fort in north-central India from the 8th/9th century, which was targeted by the rebels looking to loot fabulous treasures said to have been cached and secreted since 12th or 13th century...

It was the norm for kings, princes, lords of the day, to keep their wealth as close as possible for times of emergency and distress. As this particular fort was three kilometres square, had huge sandstone walls which were thought impregnable, it was also a repository for massive amounts of gold, silver, gems and jewellery gained from war, taxes, tributes, gifts and even trade with other kingdoms and dynasties. As you can imagine, in a culture, society and environment where one's position, prestige and power is linked to wealth, it was imperative for rulers to keep humongous hoards and guard them jealously.

As by the middle of the 19th century even the once most powerful and richest empires, that of the Moghuls, was in serious decline and was a poor imitation of its former glories, the East India Company was depended on more and more for security and governance. So it was for the princely state which was ruled from the fort in question and that had suddenly been converged on by an army of rebels looking for some serious loot. The nobles and royal family fled in face of the onslaught and could not rely on John Company riding to the rescue as whitey was taking a bit of a pounding themselves and it was uncertain if English 'rule' could be maintained. The rebels blew gaping holes here and there in the massive fort complex hoping to sate the treasure-lust but were out of luck. The wily old rajahs of yesteryear had catered for this possibility as there was always upheaval, uncertainty and unpredictability as to when the fort might be attacked from any party wishing to raid it for treasure. They had built secret tunnels, strong-rooms and secret passages which had been constructed by master tradesmen from the Indian holy city of Benares who had taken vows of the "Holy Cow" and where the trade had been passed down for centuries from one generation to the next, and they had been brought to the fort blindfolded and kept closely guarded by soldiers. Now it might seem incredible and sound unrealistic, but it needs to be seen to be believed and even to this day, such trades, vows, religions, beliefs and sites exist...

The tradition that had been formed was, one ruler knew the secret spot, its intricacies and how to access the treasure vault(s). He would then pass this information on to the next ruler. Only this person knew the secret and nobody else. It was very risky and delicate but it was effective at the time for them.

Well, even when the rebels/looters were causing havoc and untold destruction to the fort, the erstwhile ruler was safe in the knowledge that, no matter how much they blasted and dug, they were unlikely to come across the loot...
Once the British government intervened and annexed India to its empire, it was game over for the opposition and for the East India Company there. It took some time but the fort was given back to the former ruling family. Well, as much Johnny Englishman likes to think about morals, ethics, civilised behaviour and fair play, there is enough greed and desire as any other race. The British government in their usual diplomatic yet uncompromising way, told Mr Rajah that as he had been restored to his kingdom, he would kindly be 'requested' to assist Her Majesty's Government with a huge loan at a most delightful rate to ensure "law, order and governance" by the authorities. The ruler was in a quandary but acquiesced and provided it from the secret chamber(s) and to the delight of the British consul who had been placed at the rajah's court to ensure compliance.

Things gradually got better and some sort of semblance of normality was restored. Mr rajah had an issue though: he was growing old and his son was extremely young...
He feared that if he was to meet an untimely end, would he ever have the opportunity to pass on any family secrets to his heir...?

You might ask yourself that 'didn't the treasure get appropriated by Johnny English...?

Yes it did...

But.

There was another a larger cache going back even earlier than the one given to the British...

How was Mr Rajah going to manage to impart the secret and ensure that his heir and future family benefitted from the enormous wealth accrued by their forebears? The halls and courts of the old rajahs and maharajahs were filled with intrigue and double-dealing.

Well what the ruler had feared happened: he fell ill unexpectedly and died. But before doing so, he somehow, some say through a loyal servant others say through his queen, the rajah managed to leave a small but significant clue of the secret location to his young heir.

For the next 30 years, the new ruler searched and searched, always surreptitiously and without attracting the curiosity of the British 'advisor' at his court. As the income from the lands of the kingdom shrank due to various factors, costs increased and greater need arose for sustenance from the British, Mr New Rajah realised he options were dwindling fast...

It was now the 1920s, times and attitudes and priorities had changed vastly. New Rajah was in a quandary - should he receive expert assistance from the British authorities and risk his ancestors' fortune being commandeered - should he continue his secret search even though the previous 30 years had proved fruitless, or should he try a different tact?

Mr new rajah had formed a close bound with a military attaché that he'd known for some years. This Britisher could be trusted and so the rajah took him into his confidence. This officer of the British Army had no qualms in coming to an arrangement with The rajah about a division of spoils for his assistance and 'discretion'. Johnny English was tasked with developing a plan to try and locate the sercret and hard-to-find hoard. He went about his work diligently, studied the fort, its architecture, the tidbit of the secret location that the rajah had managed to receive from his father and came up with a plan...

It took some years and plenty of sweat, tears, frustration and toil, but after a lucky break and a visit to a certain ancient training school of masons in Benares, Johnny English got a break.

Sure enough, adjoining the fort was a forest, which had a clever secret passage to the royal chambers...

Mr rajah and English managed to sneak a huge treasure out of the fort under a cover of renovating certain areas and invested in a then up and coming company called Tata...

Rajah had decided that hoarding and secreting treasure was an old custom which was no longer relevant and he quietly put his massive resources, backing and wealth into the Tata Group which is today worth about $120,000,000,000 and has close to 700,000 employees across the globe...

True story folks, you can still visit the fort and, in fact, hundreds do everyday. If you come across one of the more informed guides, you might even come across a certain 'secret' passage...:laughing7



IPUK
 

IPUK...great yarn as usual for the cold Friday night bro!
It is quite a story...there could be other untraced caches in India both temple and nobility related...I hope your links and travels there would bear fruit one day!
I will save this story for a future visit of the fort one day..
Thanks again:icon_thumleft:
TT
 

TT, as always, you are more than welcome mate, and I'm glad you enjoyed it!

There are numerous stories, legends that abound in India; if I'm not mistaken, there are about 33,000 old forts, temples, buildings and suchlike that have history...

The fort is Gwalior and is in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.

Just as a side note, the Johnny English army officer that led the search, he kept quiet alright, but his daughter wrote a book about his exploits, in the 1970s...

So much to explore, research and investigate..., just not enough time....:BangHead:


IPUK
 

Has anyone else noticed that the Smart phones battery dies after 1-2 days without being recharged, or is it just me? Company had me use them 3 models over the years and all would die if not recharged at night. My "Old Flip phone only lasts about 4 hours of talk time, but holds the charge if not calling. All the Smart phone checking for Apps and updates in the back ground seem to be the drain. In the hills to use a phone as a backup for emergency calling, the old flip phone seems to be the safest bet to me if you can get a signal. ;)
 

One advantage to doing a lot of hunting in the desert of central Arizona when growing up was that I always look down at the ground as I walk. Because of this I have found my fair share of money on the ground. Coins and Dollars. lots of pennies and up to a $50p bill once. All without using a metal detector. ;) Habit from watching where I put my feet and looking for snakes, cactus and barbwire, I guess. Also when going fishing I find lots of fishing gear along the shore lost by others. Hooks, sinkers, lures, no rods and reels though. ;) That would really make a good fishing trip. ;)
 

Hi au, down here where the spaces are further apart we now use a Iridium Sat phone, or one of several Ground tracking units. However most of my active lost mine locating was by mule and a plain old map

incidentally,that looking at the ground is known as the prospectos stare, always looking for evidence
 

Last edited:
That time of week again folks...

Today, if I may, I shall give details of two different stories, yet some strong similarities exist...

It is up to the reader to decide if there is any possible connection(s) to the separate accounts.

The first story has been well covered here on TreasureNet and is about a possible emerald mine which exists(ed) on the still largely unexplored vast area that exists between present-day Colombia, Ecuador and possibly parts of the northern portion of Peru. You can simply put 'Connolly's Lost Emerald Mine' in the TreasureNet search engine and the thread will come up where there is the basis of the story and some extra investigative work that Crow did with regards to the legend.

It is about a chap called "Connolly" in the 1920s who had heard the fantastical accounts from the early accounts of the conquistadors about how they received massive emeralds from Inca emissaries as gifts and, no matter how hard they tried, they never did discover the source of the "Inca Emerald Mine." Now this Connolly chap was the inquisitive sort and was determined to try and discover the source of the fabulous gems that the Incas had possessed before the coming of the Spanish. He formulated a plan of action and made his way to Guayaquil on the coast of Ecuador. From there, he took the train to Quito and set about trying to gather as much information and details from archives, libraries and government departments regarding the history, mining, maps, reports and journals of officials, travellers, miners etc...

During his research he managed to collect a fair amount of knowledge and decided that, if the mine existed, it would be somewhere in the Oriente area of the east which was then, and now, largely unexplored with very hostile natives. Connolly was determined to go on his own and with extremely limited funds, he knew that he'd have to have a very secure plan which would give him the best possibility of survival (all that he spoke to said he'd be killed by the 'savages' and the most experienced of travellers and miners had never discovered the source and he was crazy to even contemplate such a trip), and perhaps even discover the fabled emerald mine of the Incas.

After some time investigating and contemplating the story, area and his own trip, Connolly decided on a somewhat high-risk strategy of going into the green inferno without guides, on his lonesome and with limited supplies...

His 'idea' was to take only a flute which he felt would be his biggest asset in surviving any attack by native hostiles who were never too friendly with whitey outsiders. Anyway, Connolly started his adventure with his 'asset' and some meagre supplies and with the dire warnings of those he had spoken to stored in the back of his mind.

Many months passed and there was no sight or word of the gringo who had made a "crazy" plan to go into the jungle and discover a fabulous fortune. Most gave him up for dead as another victim of his own naivety and of the fierce Injuns that inhabited the area. One morning at an isolated missionary outpost, two padres saw a near-naked, gangling, bag of bones, wild-haired and starved looking whitey trying to swim the river to their location. They rushed to assist and support him and managed to carry him back to their basic accommodation. After settling him, they tried to get some idea of he had found himself in his current perilous predicament. Connolly was still somewhat delirious after his ordeal and was trying to communicate in a strange Injun dialect that nobody could understand. Still, they nursed him and also noticed that he clung on furiously to a small leather pouch which was the only thing he had on his person...

Some weeks after rest and recuperation, Connolly was able to travel back to Quito. Before doing so, he thanked the good padres for saving his life and emptied the leather pouch in front of them. They were amazed to see several emeralds, uncut, of which Connolly chose one and gave to the padres as a gift for the mission and in appreciation. He never revealed the source. Back in Quito, he visited the Department of Mines and attempted to file a claim. Here, he faced a stumbling black; in order to file a claim, Connolly needed an accurate description of the area and topographical details. As the area was still unexplored, this was a problem and an issue. As a compromise, it was decided that if Connolly could describe as accurately as possible, his journey from entering the region to his miraculous appearance at the isolated missionary outpost, the Ecuadorean government would grant him a temporary concession until a more detailed survey could be conducted at which point it would then be finalised into a permanent one.

It was from his written statement that the story of the "Lost Connolly/Ina Emerald Mine" is known today. Connolly claimed he'd decided that his best chance of survival and discovering the emerald mine was to going into the unknown as a "mad man" with the flute and hopefully not get killed by the Injuns. He traveled with only a compass making, always, a north-west direction and following the tracks made by the dwellers of the rain forest. He would play the flute energetically without any rhythm and laugh uncontrollably. After nine days of following no walking and seeing not a single human being, he was surrounded by "ugly Pygmy-looking Injuns" and knew his only chance of survival was continuing his act.

It worked.

They guided him back to their small village and left him alone. After staying there some time and winning their confidence, he learnt of a fiercer, more primitive, tribe further in the interior, where the geology was more conducive to the possible emerald mine. After much trial and tribulation, he found them, went hunting, won their confidence with his act and 'power' and, sure enough, discovered the location of crumbling slate with pieces of white quartz where the emeralds were situated. He made a almost fatal error by, after drinking native brew in congratulating himself on his success, by giving-up his only other 'asset' - his compass - which was instrumental in helping him achieve his outcome, to a native that he'd gone hunting with and had found the long-lost location. It was in trying to get back to civilisation that he'd got horribly lost and had nearly succumbed before fortuitously coming upon the missionary outpost.

After making his statement and report, Connolly requested that his claim be kept "secret" until he could stake it more comprehensively. He set about selling his pouch of emeralds and outfitting a proper expedition. No more flute to make his way - mules, picks, guns, food, supplies and labourers. By selling his emeralds, he attracted unwanted attention and word got out. He gathered a team of adventurers, mercanaries and hopefuls. They made their way into the jungle with high hopes but were never seen again...

The department of mines in Ecuador waited about 10 years and then made the "Connolly/Inca Lost Emerald Mine" information available. This was in the mid-1930s.


But this is not all...
 

Now, the above story of Connolly was interesting enough to warrant a few inquiries by me. It is generally accepted that the first time it received attention on a large scale was possibly in the 1960s...

However.

I came across an account of a chap called "Connolly" who passed away in the jungles of South America in the 1920s and was met by some intrepid travellers living amongst greatly-feared Injuns and in places no whitey had seen or been before...

There was a young mining engineer who, after completing his education, started working for one of the mining giants during the late 19th century. He always felt that he'd feel much more fulfilled if he struck out on his own and had to only answer for himself. He resigned his post and made his to the Yukon area during the gold rush there. He struck it rich and patted himself for trusting his own judgment. He made his way to Seattle for some fancy high living with the proceeds. After some time there, he got drawn in by a "slick investment advisor" who convinced him to put his wealth into stocks and bonds to draw a 'safe' income from. Needless to say, it went belly-up and this Connolly chap found himself right back at point zero...

Through Nevada, California, South Africa, Australia and again in Canada, he found himself in Honduras trying to locate a mother lode of gold. Nothing went right for him and he made passage for Burma and the ruby mines there. He made some decent wealth there but yearned for the Americas. He made his way to Utah searching for copper. There, he bought up various claims hoping to sell out to one of the major companies.

Bad Luck again...

The copper boom ended and he ended up in New York City selling his stakes for a pittance. From there he determined to try his luck in South America.

Now, there would have been many "Connollys" at that time travelling, mining, prospecting and hoping to strike it rich. Fair enough. But next is where it gets just a little interesting...

From his disembarkation in Chile, he slowly made his way to Bolivia. He was getting despondent that nothing was going his way and his best and brightest days were behind him and it was highly unlikely he'd ever hit the heights again. In the towns and cities he met only with frustration and hopelessness. After much dead ends and aborted failures, Connolly resolved to head into an unexplored, dangerous, hostile area where he wouldn't have to deal with 'civilisation' or pavements ever again. He determined to reach the area in northern Peru on the border with Ecuador and Colombia which was still unknown with hostiles that even the respective governments decided not to "interfere".

Connolly though his disillusionment, made tracks for this vast and extremely dangerous area. All told him he'd be killed horribly by the 'savages', if not, he'd get lost in that hellhole and die of hunger, disease or from a snake/jaguar or any number of scary jungle creatures. No matter he said; if so, then that will be it.

Now Connolly might have been a chancer, but he was nobody's fool. He realised to survive he needed some sort of mechanism to give him an opportunity to find another fortune and come out alive. At the time, the best possible chance of enhancing one's prospects of surviving any hostile attack, was to take trade goods and gifts for the natives. He knew it would be difficult as he was determined to go by himself and not have a single soul along with himself. He meditated on what would really impress or scare the Injuns and decided on getting a flute and acting a "mad man" that might be spared and even treated reverentially. Guns and force had been met with hostility and the purveyors neutralised by the Injuns because the jungle was their turf and they knew how to operate in it...

Connolly made his way into first the mountains then the jungles...

After much doubt and scary thoughts, he knew he was being followed. He started playing the flute for all he was worth. For several days he was trailed by "invisible" Injuns who were highly curious about this weird whitey who, without any fear, weapon or supplies, had made his way into their country. When they revealed themselves, Connolly said they were the most frightful looking beings he'd ever encountered.

Now this Connolly was well-known as "Connolly of the Andes" during the 1920s. He found gold alright and explored vast swathes of unknown country during his years in that vast region. He was well-known to have an Injun following due to them believing in his 'medicine.'

The first story told above probably has been embellished over the years. The chap who actually met the second Connolly did so in the Madre de Dios country of present day Brazil in the 1920s.

Is there more to these two stories...?

Where is Crow, Kanacki and Amy, is my thought...:laughing7:


IPUK
 

IPUK, Thanks again for these two stories. I look forward to your Friday posts. Fascinating as usual. And, I have to agree, where are the trio and Amy......

JB
 

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