1937 Treasure Hunt to Mona Island, Puerto Rico

[jeff of pa]

 

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[Red_desert]

So, finding a pirate ship wasn't part of the plan... lucky find for sure!

 

[Bum Luck]

Buying deep-sea diving equipment sight unseen and untried might not be the best option, but at least those adventures were a lot cheaper in those days.

Does anyone know much about Mona Island?

Back in 1566 or so, I recall that Pedro Menendez went looking for French or English pirates there.

 

[Red_desert]

One article says hunting treasure in water, caves, or entering caves is illegal there. Apparently hunters like the remote rugged island. Also has Indian petroglyphs.

A generic press news link-according to this report it is ok to explore the caves.​

PUERTO RICO HERALD: Hunters Flock To Puerto Rico's Remote And Rugged Mona Island

 

[Red_desert]

That sounds like my kind of uninhabited island.

 

[Bum Luck]

That sounds like my kind of uninhabited island.

40 miles from Puerto Rico. No radio, no TV, no cars The only sound is the one produced by the waves. Great so far.

Hunting allowed; rats, mongoose, feral pigs, goats, and cats. Check. The iguana is protected - what? What about us kids with too many pellets for our air guns? Well, maybe iguana isn't as good as pig or goat. Do they eat mosquito larva?

OK. Many caves, some large. Can't hunt, but maybe they can be camped in to avoid the heat, 110 in the winter! No water, have to bring your own or steal some from someone else who then dies of thirst, hum. Probably doesn't like that.

No treasure hunting in caves, bummer. But maybe OK on the beaches? There was supposedly pirates on the island, but I don't know where they would hide their ships.

Lots of rock, in fact, it's all rock. Hot rock. Two deadly types of indigenous scorpions.

Poisonous plants:

Carrasco. Comocladia dodonaea – aka: poison ash, hogwood etc. It is an urushiol poison similar to that in poison ivy.

Indio Desnudo. Bursera simaruba - doesn't sound poisonous, but medicinal, including for syphilis, rheumatism, kidneys, fever.

Papayo. poisonous to the touch.

Manzanillo, Manchineel. Hippomane mancinella, it is known as the "tree of death", manzanilla de la muerte, "little apple of death." It has been called one of the most dangerous trees in the world. You guys in Florida know about it.
Do not eat the fruit. Do not touch the tree trunk or any branches. Do not stand under or even near the tree for any length of time whatsoever. Do not touch your eyes while near the tree. Do not pick up any of the ominously shiny, tropic-green leaves. The Carib Indians poisoned their blowgun darts with the sap and used the leaves to poison enemy's water supplies. They used to tie victims to the tree as a form of torture. Hmmmmmm.

A recent hunter, recruited for “Monster Island,” as part of “Animal Planet’s” Monster Week, Army Capt. Stacy Beasley, 5th Engineer Battalion, 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, 1st Infantry Division says: “It’s a reality check that this island has taken people’s lives.”

Beasley was speaking about Mona Island, Puerto Rico, an area billed as one of the most hostile environments known to man. It’s an island that, except for seasonal rangers, remains uninhabited by humans. What the island does offer is scorching heat, venomous centipedes, poisonous plants, sinkholes, razor sharp coral and a disorienting cactus maze.

A veteran of two tours in Iraq, three grueling National Training Center rotations in Fort Irwin, California, military assignments that stretched from coast to coast in the U.S., and hunting trips to a variety of challenging locations, Beasley’s experiences helped to prepare him for his most challenging hunt to date.

“If Osama bin Laden had been hiding on Mona Island, we may have never found him,” Beasley quipped. “It was worse than any NTC rotation I’ve ever been on.”


As Beasley and his crew settled in for the hunt, left alone with only what could be carried on an island with no source of fresh water, Beasley remembered his thought. “We’re a bunch of castaways,” he said.


At one point during the show, Beasley, fresh from shooting a boar, scrambled to locate both his arrow and the injured hog in the dwindling daylight, while being careful to avoid sinkholes hidden underneath palm fronds, falling coconuts and a plant whose leaves can cause painful blisters and even blindness.


Sorry I went on about it, but it just grew on me as a challenging and interesting place.

Thanks Jeff!

 

[Bum Luck]

5 November, 1566:


Pedro Menendez arrives with 3 ships looking for pirates "because those were places where the thieving corsairs habitually went".

from "Pedro Menendez de Aviles and the Conquest of Florida", edited by David Arbesu

It was clear though that the locals were trading with them on the side despite occasional predations(!) and in direct violation of orders of His Catholic Majesty. It also seems that the Governor was in on what amounted to tax evasion and possible treason.

One of the pirates was Jean Bontemps, but besides the French were the English and Portugese.

 

[KANACKI]

Hello Whats wrong with the next generation? So tough location?

Come on these guys searched in 1960's with nothing of technology we have to day. Have a watch of this documentary of treasure hunting on Mona. Hats off to them. They rebuilt an airfield themselves. spent about 5 months searching the island.

Apologies in advance if videos 3 in series of their search in 1963 are out of sequence.








Kanacki

 

[BillA]

Hi Kanacki

kinda droll, but funny as hell

 

[Red_desert]

Looks like I'd have to stick with beach hunting only. I'm allergic to poison ivy and any tree that can mimic it's allergy symptoms, must stay away from for sure.

 

[Bum Luck]

Hi Kanacki

kinda droll, but funny as hell

You're just jealous, like the rest of us!

 

[BillA]

BL yea, but they were on vacation; a food flight once a week ?
I had an MB in boxes several times but mine was painted yellow, lots of memories
and the terrain, if locals came to hunt pigs it ain't so bad

try the jungle on rice and tuna

 

[Red_desert]

Rice and tuna sounds good if mixed with a cheesy sauce (I think).