The Treasure of El Pensamiento (including Ruminahuis stash)

Aug 23, 2013
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One of the officers that became a captain on one of these captured ships wrote an very interesting account of events, that was passed down through his family.

Six of the sailors from the Harrington who was crewing on the captured ships stole a long boat and fled as they become aware that they was not covered by the letter of marque and would be wanted for piracy. Their fate is unknown? However the ghost of these real events was latter repeated by a strange convoluted story of treasure from Peru on coast of Australia at a place called Queenscliff.

The story given there is silly story based on hearsay and no real evidence. However the alleged story was based around an old sailor known as Kerosene jack who was searching for treasure at Queenscliff. His father was an alleged pirate.

Was his father a survivor of one of 6 sailors that fled in the longboat?

However the story of Queenscliff treasure was manipulated by local business men to promote tourism erroneously connecting the Cocos and Benito Bonito treasure stories to the area thus muddying the real story behind the myth. Adding to the mystery some coins from south America was found and in cave some swords and firearms was found. Which started Australia's own proverbial oak island rush of would be treasure hunters digging up the place.

Newcastle Sun  Thursday 8 July 1937, page 10.jpg

Advertiser  Saturday 20 August 1938, page 11.jpg

Amy
 

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Aug 23, 2013
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Hello Don Jose shipping records shows the El Pensamiento was still in existence in Peru long after the event in the 1820's.

However we must look at official Spanish Protocols at the Lima. Everything had to to shipped out of Callao at the time. While El Pensamiento may of indeed shipped treasure to Callao the port for Lima. It is not impossible that this cargo was held in trust in Callao for 2 years before the situation in Spain and the availability of shipping was able to on ship the treasure Antonio Pastor y Marin de Segura, dispatched on the El Pensamiento from Paita. The problem they had was no foreign ship was allowed to make port in any of the Spanish territories. This was only lifted in 1820 after the fall of Spanish Vice Royalty in Lima. However it was not impossible that by 1804 an opportunity a deal was done to ship the treasure south to Valparaiso?

Interesting enough Captain William Campbell of the Harrington captured 2 ships off Coquimbo. The St. Paulo and St. Francisco. Interesting thing is the cargo manifests and logs was altered and it was never sure what was really in those vessels?

Amy
 

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Aug 23, 2013
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This we come back to this alleged account of one of the officers that became a captain on one of these captured ships wrote an very interesting account of events, that was passed down through his family. He claims as William Campbell went to see Governor king, they hid on a island off the Australian coast a buried treasure that was erased off the logbooks and cargo manifest. In short they discovered a sea cave in cleft of rock that cannot be seen from the sea. you can enter with a longboat in calm weather at low tide. At high tide the cave is almost submerged. At the end of this sea cave in the cave was a sand beach.

No doubt you know and have a pretty good idea of the usual suspects who found that alleged cave?

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Amy
 

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Aug 23, 2013
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Definitely a site that Alexander Dumas would of been proud of.

However the questions remains is there treasure hidden or buried in the back of the cave? If so is it still there? Was this alleged treasure actually the cargo dispatched by the Marques de Llosa or was it some thing entirely different?

The main officers profited from their arrest by the next Governor and each was granted thousands of acres each with hundreds of convicts to do their bidding. Today, streets and suburbs and even whole towns are named after them. Yet In their lifetime there was no need for treasure or the risk of being hung for piracy. As for the rest of the crew, most were uneducated Jack tars unable to read or write or even navigate, most never properly even knew the cave was even on a island scattered to the four corners of the world as usual with nothing. However vague references surfaced from the drunken lips of many an old sailor in the waterfront bars and dives to foster the seeds of what was to later became the Queenscliff legend.


Amy
 

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Mar 2, 2013
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If my research was correct in a small way, then a large treasure cache from Ecuador more commonly known as the 'Valverde Treasure ', ended-up being commandeered by the French Bourbon kings.

Wish that sly old fox (aka EL Crow) would grace us with his presence, I have an interesting story for him from what was known as the 'Spice Islands' in the age of discovery. A corrupt and vicious British administrator went to try and set-up a trading base on an island and was chased away never to return whilst leaving buried gold and silver that was due to be used to purchase supplies to ship back to good old Blighty.

Going back to the Valverde story, what was once there is no more. I came across a reference which stated that in the early 19th century, Senor Valverde actually left Quito in a hurry due to his gold being discovered by the authorities there and he took his native wife and child/ren back to Spain.

IPUK
 

Aug 23, 2013
468
1,437
Primary Interest:
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If my research was correct in a small way, then a large treasure cache from Ecuador more commonly known as the 'Valverde Treasure ', ended-up being commandeered by the French Bourbon kings.

Wish that sly old fox (aka EL Crow) would grace us with his presence, I have an interesting story for him from what was known as the 'Spice Islands' in the age of discovery. A corrupt and vicious British administrator went to try and set-up a trading base on an island and was chased away never to return whilst leaving buried gold and silver that was due to be used to purchase supplies to ship back to good old Blighty.

Going back to the Valverde story, what was once there is no more. I came across a reference which stated that in the early 19th century, Senor Valverde actually left Quito in a hurry due to his gold being discovered by the authorities there and he took his native wife and child/ren back to Spain.

IPUK

Hello IPUK

Careful what you wish for? I suspect that ragged old Crow knows more about the story you inferred than anyone can imagine. I assume the Corrupt official you referring to was Alexander Dalrymple?

As for Valverde / Llanganatis, story I have not had the liberty to make a full proper search of archival records to verify the claimed names of this alleged treasure thus I am unable comment on the validity of the story. As for Don Antonio Pastor y Marin de Segura being the corregidor in Latacunga between 1892 and 1894? I have never seen a independent historical document that he ever existed? The Corregidor of Latacunga in 1793 was Antonio Mazorra, he was Born around 1764 later died 1809? in Popayan, Cauca, Colombia. However that said there is no conclusion as yet without further research.

What was the date of reference for Valverde story?

Amy
 

Mar 2, 2013
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Hello CI

Correct, that was the one I was referring to as I had some references to it and delved deeper, and this one certainly had good and relevant evidence to substantiate it. Is there any stories/legends your team haven't come across or 'looked into?' :notworthy:
 

Mar 2, 2013
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As for the Valverde thing, it was Louis the XV or XVI who received a large illicit treasure ship sometime in the 18th century. The Valverde character leaving Ecuador, was from two different sources from the Quito archives from around the 1820s or 1830s. They were mentioned in different books and journals and said that this person was nearly apprehended by the authorities as he tried to repeatedly smelt gold and silver artefacts and was reported before he fled. The treasure was from a cave and not a lake. The native tribes his family were from were situated in a village just outside of Quito and they fled North as well.
 

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Mar 2, 2013
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It was rumoured that they were from the Shyris tribe who were Inca Atahualpa's maternal folk and they hid his body further north past Otovalo.

There is some solid documents and accounts of various happenings in the Indian Ocean and also the Pacific that I hoped El Crow could educate us on regarding English and Dutch ships and settlements that I have been looking into.

Mr Crow gave me a couple of super leads that Hard Luck had looked into - the plane full of gold off West Africa and the Peru ship/Marianas Island, but I need his advice and counsel on a few aspects.

IPUK
 

Mar 2, 2013
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There's another fascinating story I've come across regarding a gold shipment that was smuggled to France during WW2 by the British government to assist the Resistance there. It was buried and never used. A British intelligence official tried to retrieve it during the 1950s but was mysteriously murdered with his wife, and it is rumoured that the shipment is still buried in an isolated spot. I chanced upon this story accidently. There was a big hullabaloo when it happened but nothing much since...


IPUK
 

Aug 23, 2013
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There's another fascinating story I've come across regarding a gold shipment that was smuggled to France during WW2 by the British government to assist the Resistance there. It was buried and never used. A British intelligence official tried to retrieve it during the 1950s but was mysteriously murdered with his wife, and it is rumoured that the shipment is still buried in an isolated spot. I chanced upon this story accidently. There was a big hullabaloo when it happened but nothing much since...


IPUK

Interesting story you mention Congratulations you may punch your fist in the air and say "yes!" ya got one Hard luck has not heard of.

Sadly for the trio they are in..... lets just say " treasure researching purgatory"

However you might enjoy the following pictures of a shipwreck of a British ship that was wrecked on its way to relieve the garrison of that island trading station you mentioned.

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Amy
 

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Mar 2, 2013
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Hey CI
Thank you very much for posting the above pictures - shows the difference between a wannabe such as myself and a true professional such as you. I knew this one was a 'goodie', would be interesting to know if anything was ever dug-up...

I am humbled if I have discovered a treasure story that Professor Hard Luck had yet to uncover.

It is what you start getting once you scratch further under the surface that sometimes intrigues you. I have learnt that leave the glossy popular books well alone and check those old articles, journals, academic archives, old travelogues and in some cases, local legends/gossip and lore.


What a truly fascinating world that exists in those circles.


IPUK
 

Aug 23, 2013
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Hello IPIU

IPUK

Its a very dangerous place to be.

As far of the story as I know the treasure is still there? However in 2014 a group of Malaysians tried to recover it and it sparked a six day border war between Philippine Moro islanders and the people from Saba which is part of Malaysia as both parties hotly contested the ownership of the island. In all about 150 police, civilians and troops was killed.

That said the trio would be best to ask about that?

My apologies to J.A.A of diverting from the topic somewhat.

The el Pensamiento story is interesting? However there is many unverified claims that embed and and connect its fate with other treasure legends. It hard to know where the truth begins and fiction ends?


Amy
 

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Aug 23, 2013
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IPUK

You might like a copy of the sultan of Sulu agreement. Alexander Dalrymple brokered 4 agreements. The Sultans of Sulu broke everyone of them.

The settlement named I think Fort George? It consisted of small fort a redoubt with cannon, officer quarters, a garrison quarters, and small settlement of colonists in support of the trading station that consisted of a stone pier and, hospital warehouse for trading goods. fresh water was accessed from a stone lined water well. Unfortunately the location of the settlement was in a rather area with too much swamp which made ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes. And biggest problem was malaria from mosquitoes. Over half the garrison was dead or dying from it when the Sulu Pirates attacked from the rear as they had landed on a beach on the other side of the island. It was a total massacre as most of inhabitants was hacked to death or sold into slavery. There was very few survivors. The settlement was burned to the ground.

First Sulu Treaty of 28 January 1761, signed between Sultan Muhammad Muizzuddin of Sulu and Alex.jpg

Amy
 

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Mar 2, 2013
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Hello CI

Many thanks for your wonderfully informative posts.

I have come across the Dalrymple angle as well. If I am not mistaken then there is also a separate treasure legend about the Sultan as well, where he retreated to a cave with his treasure whilst fighting the Europeans and there has been many - unsuccessful may I add - attempts to uncover it. I wasn't aware of the 2014 trouble and it shows that trying to uncover a cache, it could be said any cache, will always be a delicate, wary and complex matter.

Going back to the EL Pensamiento story, I'm sure that you have come across the mysterious rumours that the treasure ship in some accounts buried in the treasure off the coast of South Am
 

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Mar 2, 2013
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South America.

I am sorry for the convoluted posts but I am writing these messages from my mobile phone and it seems to "send " messages on its own accord.

There was rumours that some of the treasure from the EL Pensamiento was appropriated and hastily buried on an island off the coast South America. I approached Peter Lourie and Mark Honigsbaum about this but they were done with the Valverde story (the authors of two popular books connected to the story).

It has crossed over with some aspects of the treasure of Lima story as well. In any event, it was more than likely taken by the French and there isn't anything left although it is still an interesting and
 

Mar 2, 2013
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Intriguing mystery..

For getting humongous amounts of the shiny stuff what about the Ashanti belt in Ghana?


IPUK
 

Aug 23, 2013
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South America.

I am sorry for the convoluted posts but I am writing these messages from my mobile phone and it seems to "send " messages on its own accord.

There was rumours that some of the treasure from the EL Pensamiento was appropriated and hastily buried on an island off the coast South America. I approached Peter Lourie and Mark Honigsbaum about this but they were done with the Valverde story (the authors of two popular books connected to the story).

It has crossed over with some aspects of the treasure of Lima story as well. In any event, it was more than likely taken by the French and there isn't anything left although it is still an interesting and

Unfortunately there is an old saying never let truth get in the way of a good story. Unfortunately Peter and Mark was more interested in flogging books than ever getting to the truth of the story. While Mark made a better book in my opinion, he still left glaring gaps in his research. The pensamiento story is still by enlarge unsubstantiated story. As for treasure on a island off the South American coast nearly every town on the west coast of South America has a treasure story.

As for the sultan yes that is correct it is allegedly in cave on hill on the main island.

Amy
 

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