Misc data and adventures of a Tayopa treasure hunter

[PROSPECTORMIKEL]

That tends to help me somehow understand that there is not necessarily a relationship between wanderlust and treasure hunting.
We don’t need them both, to suffer at the hands of one or the other.

Thanks doc.

#/;0{>~(C)

 

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[PROSPECTORMIKEL]

RC, that’s how I shop.
No matter what I get, I get a gift receipt to make it easier for her to return.

#/;0{>~

 

[releventchair]

RC, that’s how I shop.
No matter what I get, I get a gift receipt to make it easier for her to return.

#/;0{>~

I've tried giving cash in hopes of not hearing ,"ohh how practical....." again. Or see a gift fail to raise eyebrows enough.
Then I realize the lack of focus behind it.
And do it again.

 

[KANACKI]

Greetings again my friends chores over for now until the next lot come along.

Don Jose Providence decided it was safer to keep us in two different eras than putting us together in the same era my friend. We would of gotten into too much mischief?

In regards to wreck you used to practice on I suspect it was president Coolidge? Here is some dive pictures on the ship wreck.









Kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

Don Jose

I think my friend you would be extremely proud that Vanutau is in the process of building a museum hub dedicated to veterans that fought and died there during war 2. It is many faceted museum. For those unable to dive you have a museum. For others tours to sites around the islands and those who can dive underwater sites. protecting the legacy and sacrifice the allies made here during WW2.



Kanacki

 

[PROSPECTORMIKEL]

Sorry fellas, I was answering RC ‘s post and figured I would be done before you guys got back. By the way great pictures under the sea!!

And it probably was a good idea to keep you two from being on the same time, even for an hour or two! So back to RC. About the gift giving ...


Well at least she hasn’t returned the stun gun!!!...

She and our daughter shop
Late and come home with horror tails about women getting approached by two or three men between the store and the car.

So I gave them the gift of security!!! Yea me!!

Right?...

They want to know how to use them... they want me to be the bad guy... so I go get mine...

They get all kinds of defensive and I pull mine out and fire off a few crackles.

All of a sudden, nobody wants to play ( long silence........)

So now I’m teach them how to hold on to theirs.

Yeah, right! This because they don’t want to put the safety lanyard on while they are in the store. I tell them that it’s good to advertise and if anyone is stupid enough to start walking towards them,
1. Turn the flashlight on and get them in the eyes.

2. Point the flashlight at their (Zipper)!!

3. Flip the little red light, and start walking at them and fire off a few flashes and keep it pointed at their zipper and don’t worry, she is never going to catch-up!!!

Problem solving 101.

I fire mine off when it’s the pets bedtime. They don’t have to be told twice by me!

All of them but Harley!
The name fits his attitude!

Last week he got behind the clothes dryer and tore the exhaust line off, so I put air filter over the gap ...
Next night back in there..
You got the idea already.
I move the mirror that blocks off the bottom.

He didn’t want to go out forward... so I reach way over to the back wall and fire up a couple of bursts, he moves out backwards and winds up stuck in the other end so I hit it again. This twelve pound two year old bully jumped four feet and as soon as he could see an open direction, he hit the back wall with his back feet and almost hit the wall on the other side of the room.

He was a little bit hard to find at bedtime...

Next day I make a permanent solution, two metal baskets behind the dryer, I set him on top of the dryer, he moves cautiously toward the back, unable to see the baskets because they were black to vanish into the shadows.
He sniffs a little and tries to touch the bottom, I pushed one foot off of the wall and he clears my head by about three inches.
I went looking for him, guess where he was...
In his bed in the bedroom.

Works well when I say bedtime!

Problem solved!

#/;0{>~-*

 

[KANACKI]

Hello All

My apologizes once again I diverted a little some times as I type if I am in my hammock or in my tea house I have a little micro sleep. It very warm in fact very humid.



Now humidly can be nauseous especial when trapped with low cloud above. But today just clear blue sky not one cloud in the sky. So my friends swimming is one form or another is order of the day. When you live in tropics my friends you soon learn why the native wear as little as possible because its stinking hot. So when we get a cool onshore breeze lowing through the trees its race for the hammocks my friends. so sie amigo don Jose siesta...

er....I must of nodded off...:-)

Now back to Kanacka Jack. Well on the day we visited kanacka with my better half before the wine and the sun my friends made concentration a blur . While he told me yarn about the gold reef he was looking for.

He also told me got some papers to relating to a captain Henry Mair who was murdered in Espritio Santos. The mission church there had records and odds and ends left there through various missionaries there. The mission establish in 1897 had a Letter that a native had taken from the murdered Henry Mair and they native unable read kept the paper letter in his family for about 16 years until he converted to Christianity in which he gave it to the Dr Bowie, who was then a Scottish missionary had first established Presbyterian Church mission in Hog Harbour.



How Kanacka Jack got it? Years ago he came across the papers in the box of records from the defunct Presbyterian church of hogs harbor stored in another Church in Port Vila. The document was letter to be sent to Henry Mair's brother in New Zealand from some reason or another it was never sent. It went on to describe Henry Mair's discovery and burial of treasure he found on an island called Swarrow island.

Suwarrow Atoll is now a New Zealand protectorate and is part of the Cook Island group. The atoll is barely two and a half square kilometres in area and lies 800 kilometres due east of Samoa and 3,200 kilometres north-east of New Zealand. It has no fresh water or fruit and because of this remained uninhabited for many years.

It was uncharted on earlier maps and charts and gained its name during the visit of a Russian vessel, the SUVOROV. The atoll was a likely place to hide ill-gotten gains from plundered ships plying the trade routes across the Pacific Ocean. Lime fortifications and pottery, found in the sand by Sterndale, showed that at some previous time Spanish and Portugese ships had called there.

It is on record, Sterndale related, that in 1850 a Tahitian schooner went to salvage oil from the stranded American vessel GEM and the captain had searched around the tall palm trees near the beach of Anchorage Island and dug up a small buried treasure chest containing gold and silver coin. He had heard of a German trader working in Apia, Samoa, who had become the next treasure hunter on Suwarrow after purchasing an old map from a drunken sailor.

He found an old iron chest containing Spanish pieces of eight and silver of Mexican origin valued at US$22,000. The last known treasure find was in 1876 when the atoll was occupied by Sterndale, his wife and several Chinese workers.

Mr. Henderson carefully considered Sterndale's proposition of setting up a trading post and base on Suwarrow Atoll. It was well situated and could be used by small vessels to store the cargo of copra, shell, pearl and other commodities brought in from the other islands and atolls in the adjacent areas. Additionally, Sterndale's previous experience soon convinced Mr. Henderson that this could become a paying proposition.

The partners agreed that Sterndale should become their Manager for the Pacific region and that he would be based on Suwarrow atoll.

With the aid of the crew of the firms 85 ton brigantine RYNO, Sterndale put together the house in frames that they had brought with them from Auckland close to the beach on Anchorage Island, Suwarrow. They built a small coral wall in front to form a fortress and laid in the two cannons facing out into the lagoon to ward off unwanted visitors.

Nearby they built a brick reservoir to catch rainwater and a long coral wharf out into the deeper water so vessels could load and unload provisions, supplies and cargo's. The operation began well and the partners in Auckland were well pleased with his efforts and organising abilities. An ambitious man, Sterndale convinced himself that he was now eligible to become a partner in the firm. This was disputed by Mr.Henderson who informed him that he was nothing more than an employee of the company.

The dispute continued into 1876 and the partners decided they must end the matter once and for all and ordered Sterndale and his wife to return to Auckland on the first available vessel. He flatly refused to leave. By October, Mr. Henderson took matters into his own hands and dispatched the company vessel KREIMHELDA, under Captain Fernandez, with orders to sail to Suwarrow to bring them back.

When they anchored off the wharf at the atoll, Captain Fernandez found Sterndale had barricaded himself, his wife and Chinese workers in the house. He appeared at the door, brandishing a revolver, and fired shots at Captain Fernandez as he approached the house.

Retreating to the ship, the captain and crew placed the house under siege, firing rifle shots into the walls and into the water tank to try to force him to surrender. The Circular Saw Line brigantine RYNO was close by and arrived to find the position in stalemate. On board was a close friend of Sterndale named Captain Mair.

Forbidden by the ships captain to leave the vessel, Mair slipped quietly overboard that night into the dark waters of the lagoon. He swam strongly for the distant shoreline, aware that in these waters lurked many large man-eating sharks. As he lay gasping for breath on the white sands, the faint sounds of a scuffle nearby caught his attention and he found a turtle digging frantically in the sand, having chosen this spot to lay her eggs.

Hearing the sound of metal chinking, he decided to investigate further. Disturbed, the turtle scuttled away back into the dark waters, Mair dug around in the hole she had made with his bare hands. Finally he had cleared enough sand to see the dark outline of a rusty metal box, broken on one end, where necklaces and brooches in gold and silver lay in the sand in the pale moonlight. Glancing down he recalled he only had on his underclothes. He had nothing to carry it away in.

Exposing the box, Mair dragged it along the sand, aiming to re-bury it at another spot so he could return on another occasion to claim his find. Into his vest he slipped a few gold coins and rings and having carefully noted the position he had re-buried the treasure, made his way to Sterndale's house.


At first Sterndale thought it was some trick to get him out, but finally convinced of the identity of his night caller, opened the door and let Henry Mair inside. Mair was unable to convince Sterndale to surrender and the matter was finally brought to a conclusion when Captain Fernandez and his crew decided to smoke Sterndale out of the house with green pandanus leaves. Sterndale surrendered as smoke billowed through the small house. In the company of Captain Fernandez, Sterndale was placed on board the KREIMHELDA and she set sail for Auckland. Sterndale was later charged by the police with 'discharging a firearm with intent to kill',

But Captain Fernandez spoke on his behalf in court, and the judge ruled the matter to be out of his jurisdiction. Sterndale and his wife left Auckland shortly after for the west coast of America.

Henry Mair left his hoard on Suwarrow and continued to work around the Pacific islands. In a letter, dated 1878, to his brother Gilbert Mair in New Zealand, he wrote:

"People have been talking to me about my plant on Suwarrow, but they all want the lion's share. I am not afraid of anyone finding it. A letter has been in my box for two years, to be forwarded in case I come to grief, giving an accurate description of the place, with the camp as bearings and distances from various points, so anyone with ordinary care could not fail to hit it......."

This letter was never to reach his brother simply because he never sent it.

In 1881, Henry Mair was clubbed to death by the suspicious natives of Cape Lisbon, on the island of Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides now present day Vanuatu, where he had called there as a recruiting agent on board the Schooner Isabella.

His personal letter describing the location has never been found until Kanaka jack Handed me the letter. I was drunken and once in my life speechless. Old jack winked I am too old to search for it now and he joked his old ketch would fall apart in stiff breeze .

Humbled I took graciously the old mans bit of historic treasure. It was like passing the baton my friends from one old treasure hunter onto the next.

Humbled that I was I had many thing to do. I had to decide if I had time to search for this gold reef up on east coast of New Caledonia. But time was pressing my friends....

To be continued....

Kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

Hello All

Once again I have chores beckoning me. To all of those who thought they will having nothing to do on retirement. If they have wife forget it. That secret list of things they want done comes out of no where then you find yourself more busy than when your working :-)

Yet if you come out with list of things for them to do? Dog house anyone :-)

Don Jose Ironic that your later path lead you down into their path as treasure hunter. Where you was stationed Esprito Santo had treasure hunting opportunities. Yet in fairness my friend you was there to fight a war not search for treasure. You know there is a beach on nearby island was covered in ancient coins? Perhaps one Mandenas lost Spanish Galleons? Maybe if you had by chance come across Mairs letter in the old missionary church of Hogs Bay. Your life might of been very different my friend. Perhaps living on a island in the South Pacific.

Such is the winds of fate and fortune amigo.

Kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

Greetings all

Pull up a chair grab a brew. Kanacki will continue the yarn.

Time is precious my friends even for those even reading this However for any project to be successful concluded one must have the time. And it was time I could not afford to such a project looking for lost gold reef in New Caledonia. However I came to conclusion it would not hurt for taking some of the crew to go and have look.

However over the last few years there has been bad blood between Kanackas on the island with mining companies. 6500 mining jobs have shrunk to about 3500 and many feel left out and disenfranchised by the mining companies. And the rise of environmental activism putting pressure for mining companies to clean up. local independence movement has been actively attacking mining parties. So in effect in caution my crew that we was playing the tourist role. a 400 km journey up the east coast of new Caledonia. 6 Of us the rest of crew will enjoy the delights of Noumea.

Kanacka Jack had a friend that rented FWD Tour so we arranged for an overnight stay in north of island day trip. Just to have a look at the old gold mining site. The reality what ever project you embark on. You really need to see the site first. learn on the people who live there, understand the issues that affects them. Learn how to win people over. After all it is their land.

It was long held experience of mine while in New Guinea and those same principles also served me well in South America.We had two guides plus 6 of us, 8 in all 4 in each fwd. So in effect the trip was quick look at the site and perhaps remove some samples .

Traveling to north of New Caledonia was more dryer almost pastoral scenes almost gave me the false impression I was some where in the States or Australia not on island in the pacific.Funny how you get that with places. I imagine all of you at one time go to place your never been before yet it feel so familiar?



Yet further research yielded an interesting story of an ex French convict. New Caledonia used to be a Penal colony of France. One such convict roamed all over the Island years and year before my old friend Kanacka Jack had after WW2. This ex convict would disappear up north and come back with very rich specimens of gold. It was in 1899 in a territory of a very dangerous Kanacka tribe that did not take kindly to white mans intrusions into their territory.



the government surveyor essayed some of specimens this ex convict brought back nearly 800 ounces per ton. That is my friends an insane yield to 1 ton of stone. Later mining companies did eventually get established but the mystery was never fully known where this gold reef was was. Because the ex convict was murdered by Kanackas. Later a copper gold mine was establish that ran for many years but the reef mine was never found my friend. This was reported in the New Zealand Auckland star newspaper in 1899.

Kanacka Jack had spend his entire life looking for this reef. But all though he did okay he never did find the spot. And here was was on short trip just to have look my friend. You can imagine excitement for young crew members. But old man Kanacki who has spent his life doing this stuff so its little life water off a ducks back for me.

Well my friends you must be dying in anticipation my friends?

We arrived at an old mine site where they mined gold and copper you can see in the pictures below. I love these old sites as they all tell a story my friends.



We even saw the remains of the old copper smelter and chimney still in good condition and abandoned old mine building. I was told by one of the guides the mine was abandoned some time in 1920's After some years of operation.. The crew most had never seen such ruins was fascinated in searching around the site.



We manged to get further into mine site. Most mining appears to have been an early form of strip mining.



It looks like they was casting crude cooper gold ingots from the operating to export them back to France where they would be refined and gold separated from the copper through leaching process.

However out of curiosity further up the mine site which cherry picked some samples to send to my friend New Guinea for assay. I was curious. However this mine site was not the place of this legendary gold reef some where is the hills of new Caledonia their might be a very rich gold reef producing 800 ounces to ton of quartz?

But once again my friends time was the issue ...I did not have day, weeks or months to make a proper search or have the right contacts to make at this present time a viable project. I was on a cruise not an exclusive trip just to new Caledonia. Due to fact I was already forward my sailing directions onward to next port of call Australia. I could not waste any more time on project that is not prepared for.

So alas for now my friends it had to wait and sadly still to this day still waiting as life and the fair winds of fate takes you in many directions my friends.

Coffee?

To be continued....

Kanacki

 

[: Michael-Robert.]

 

[Real of Tayopa]

Right on EMB. While I have found 4 of 7 of the lost / legenery lost Gold miines of the Golden Triagle Of Mexico the imformation is for a book, not miming
Origionally I Tried the Major mining Co's, their hidden respose was your not a geologist,, how come you , a simple assayer could do what a trained Geologist couldnt do To date I have Found the Gloria Pan, the lost gold mine of the Spanierd of the Juarez reveloution, and the Tarasca/las Pimas. to the Queen, Tayopa Which has played such a major part in Mexican history. I have given it as a gift to Mexico for her patromony.It played a major part in her history. Frankly I am amazed as to why no-ons else has found her.

 

[Real of Tayopa]

View attachment 1696231As you can see I have no use any more for money. Broads, maybe. I am examining a basic trainer for both the Navy and airforce. this was sunday in tuucson, did I and my som get sunburned. Incidentally this is what trained in the Army AIR force in basic. While I was in they changed to the USAF.

 

[KANACKI]

Hello All

Embrym I an enjoying that brew.

While many dream of wandering the Pacific of being romantic? There are two illusions about searching for treasure and sailing in the Pacific. One you can turn up to any old island and dig up where you want. Two you can arrive at any old port without documentation.

Once upon a times it was like that in the days of old sailing ships first sailed the oceans but eventually as nations around the pacific developed so did maritime laws and borders. While you can still travel freely you still need to engage in official formalities. my friends.

.All countries have a port of entry and each countries have formal procedures to follow. For example our next port of call Australia The ports of entry all have 24-hour service. There are severe penalties for stopping anywhere else before clearing in, up to an Aus $50,000 fine. One should fly the Q flag as soon as one enters Australian territorial waters.

You will need to provide the following information:
- The name of your yacht;
- Intended first port of arrival;
- Estimated arrival time;
- Last four ports;
- Details of people on board including name, date of birth, nationality and passport number;
- Details of any illness or disease recently encountered;
- If you have any animals on board;
- If you have any firearms on board.
Request a confirmation and print it out for reference.

Australian Border Force does realise that not all vessels are fitted with the latest communications equipment and therefore it may not be possible to e-mail from on board. This requirement seems to cause confusion as people interpret it as notification must be given 96 hours prior to arrival. This is not the case. This is the minimum requirement. Therefore a skipper can report his impending arrival in Australia prior to departing his previous port up to 90 days before his expected arrival in Australia.

If by chance the vessel arrives prior to lapsing of the 96 hours of arrival it can wait out the time anywhere it is safe to do so. If due to dangerous seas, or there is a medical emergency etc., then the vessel is able to progress to a safe haven or the Boarding Station.
Since this new regulation came into force in 2006 several yacht captains have been taken to court for failure to comply with this regulation. However, it is important to note that not being able or choosing to change your notified port of arrival is NOT against the regulations as long as you arrive at an official Port of Entry. The Australian Border Force (Customs) does appreciate prior notification of the change, if it is possible.

Clearance at the Port of Entry in those vessel wishing to leave the country? At the port of entry, clearance is done by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, and Department of Agriculture(AQIS). They may require a list of ship's stores, dutiable items and information about any animals on board as well as the previous port clearance and the usual crew list and official papers.

Every person on board must have a valid visa, otherwise the captain will be fined Aus $1000 for every person arriving without a visa, including the captain himself. Everyone must remain on board until clearance is completed.

On arrival the captain must complete an arrival report

Clearing out can only be done at one of the ports of entry. The documents needed to get Customs clearance are passports, crew list, list of ship's stores and registration certificate. Australian yachts must be registered before leaving Australia.

After clearing out, one is not allowed to stop at any other places, but anchoring for the night or in bad weather is permitted, provided one does not go ashore.

Australian Quarantine Regulations

New biosecurity laws came into force on 16th June 2016 but there are currently no significant changes to the arrangements for quarantine inspections for yachts. Australia has also introduced a scheme of limited "practique" for vessels which present a potential biosecurity risk due to timber pests.

As you can see above the formalities are repeated to lessor or even more degree in various countries.

The Drumbeat with clearance from Noumea voyage westward towards Australia.

Now my friends I said in the beginning to write these posts to give you a deeper understanding and insight to such sea voyages my friends.

And a journey to strange exotic places in south Pacific few will rarely ever visit. As you have seen Islands of lost gold mines. volcanoes along the The Pacific of fire, ancient tribes. WW2 shipwreck and treasure my friends. Yet westward we travel catching up to no good drunken beach pirate we all know.

Time is against us. because to get the best weather down in sub antarctic regions we really need to be putting canvas to the wind.

You guys must be getting coffee d out.

To be continued....

Kanacki

 

[: Michael-Robert.]

Does that mean Ole Crow is waiting for you on the beach? ....lol

 

[KANACKI]

Right on EMB. While I have found 4 of 7 of the lost / legenery lost Gold miines of the Golden Triagle Of Mexico the imformation is for a book, not miming
Origionally I Tried the Major mining Co's, their hidden respose was your not a geologist,, how come you , a simple assayer could do what a trained Geologist couldnt do To date I have Found the Gloria Pan, the lost gold mine of the Spanierd of the Juarez reveloution, and the Tarasca/las Pimas. to the Queen, Tayopa Which has played such a major part in Mexican history. I have given it as a gift to Mexico for her patromony.It played a major part in her history. Frankly I am amazed as to why no-ons else has found her.

Hello Don Jose

Why did no one else find it? I think it comes down to true grit my friend. Many will dream of searching for such things but few will ever make the effort do to a variety of reasons. While there is a few that the lure of fortune and glory is so strong in them that to them searching for such things are a normal thing to do.

I think my friend your life journey had been one big treasure hunt and adventure.Searching for these treasure has been a passion of yours for more than one lifetime my friend.A life once tasted its hard to stop. I know this to be true as I have followed myself in your foot steps all be it on different paths, the hunger is the same.

Kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

Does that mean Ole Crow is waiting for you on the beach? ....lol

Hello Embryum

the old pirate was hanging out at beach shack on Maggie of Queensland coast. Being a beach bum haunting the bars going on benders. Still celebrating a windfall. Yet do not be fooled some days he might be seen as the town drunk a persona he hides behind. He is as calculating business man. Many people over the years has under estimated him to their own peril.

Yet here he was with about 2-3 months to spare with the hunger for another adventure my friend.

Once you taste freedom and adventure as if you fallen into a movie it hard to go back to a normal life. Like any true calling the old pirate was itching for fortune and glory again? Even if he had no financial reason to do so?

Kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

Hello All grab a coffee and pull up seat around the campfire of treasure hunting misfits.

Well I did say the yarn was about a voyage of multiple adventures?

Just recapping back to what I mentioned earlier in regards to treasure on Vanuatu. The following report was reported in the Auckland star of 27th of April 1887. Spanish coin and Portuguese coins was found on beach on the island of Mallicolo?



Marllicolo is old name for an island now called Malakula. Here is engraving when the British discovered the island in 1777



The islanders was fierce tribe saw outsiders as fresh source of meat. Many captives was carried away and slaughters and eaten by the cannibals. As Don Jose Puts it Mary Kai Kai. Many a stray ship crews and boat disappeared eaten by cannibals. So being a cultured of trading money had no use to the natives as they had no concept of it.

No doubt the coins found on the beach came from the victims if such massacre like below to be carried off to be eaten.



Such was the old ways of cannibal islands of the cannibal seas. Yet Ironic I sailed past that island and never stopped to swing a detector on the white sandy beach of the island to see if there was more coins buried in the sand.

Coffee?

Kanacki

 

[: Michael-Robert.]

 

[KANACKI]

Hello All

The Drumbeat sailed through the coral sea onward to Australian coast. We met a few squalls out in coral sea. One of dangers in the coral sea are numerous reefs and shoals. That's is even before you get to the Great Barrier Reef. So the solution was to sail further South towards a point a of land, in fact an island called Frasier island. Frasier island is the largest sand island in the worlid Since we was running a Q flag we cannot make landfall until we make a port of entry. The nearest and most convenient port of entry was Mackay on the Queens land coast. After making landfall at Mackay and fulfilling our legal entry requirements we sailed up the coast to Townsville.

But Townsville was not the destination but an island off the coast called Magnetic Island.




After anchoring in the bay It did not take long to find our tropical tramp of beach bum friend.

Coffee?

Kanacki

 

[: Michael-Robert.]