Lost Mines in Mexico - An Important Discovery by H.O. Flipper August 21, 1889

[South Sea mariner]

SSM, About Kanacki--- He was born in New Guinea of Auatrailian parents but there was an Immigation foul up, so HE could not claim Austrailan citizenship He grew up in new Guinae and knew quite a bit about the various tribes and their psychology , and so was hired as The political officer, He was the political officer for the drillers, nick named Crow and hardluck.They had many adventures and finally ended up at Rabual.where they drilled the active volano across the bay. Since the mining co was sort of capital they settled for the diference in shares, then they hit it,. Overnight they became millionares. but unlike others they did not go on a drunken spree, but under the tutalige of Hardluck opened a bank for the Islands,which has paid of. Kancaki eventualy bought a three masted sailing ship which he called the Drumbeat, and coninued his career by sailing throughout the Islands with an all girl grew and crow. Crow opened a bar on Magnetic island off of Austraila They are investors of an under seas mining area

They eventually branched out into international treasue hunting, which inluded many adventures in Peru..

They became respectable treasure hunters. Hardluck hired a lovely girl fo search the Vatican files, including Tayopa, but the archives had been prughed too well. She is noow a resaeacher for the \United Nations and was recently married to a professional foot ball player. They are presently under a confidentually order by the backers of an interational treasure hunting group to not post on, or frequent any treasure foruns.

This is a quick synopsisYou may have encounterd them, or heard of them in yout trips.

I coined the phrase the 'unholy trio'. and am proud to concider them my frends,

Any any of them would make an excellent movie of their life

My apologies as I can only post as work permits. The coffee will do nicely. First of all I know very little about treasure hunting or treasure hunters. Although I have learned at little with 2 occasions I have come across these adventurous characters.

The first time was about 10 years ago. My services was used to pilot a salvage vessel along the Magellan strait of cape Horn. A vessel carrying large quantity of gold from a gold mine was sunk off Cape horn. At first the insurance companies thought the whole incident was an insurance scam. However through Lloyd's they contracted bunch of rag tag marine salvage experts to salvage the shipwreck that was sunk the year before. I was not privies to exact details as that is how these operations work. you have your job to and that is it. The divers seem a rag tag bunch of fellows old hands at the game. One thing I sure did not envy there task. Doing a deep water salvage operation of cape horn. My task was to get them there and provided back service, such as experience I had in region. I grew up navigating cape horn as my father was a ships captain. I followed in the trade. I have sailed cape Horn 280 odd times in my career in both directions. The men that dived on the wreck had amazing good fortune. We hit a perfect patch of weather for about 6 days. Never in all the times I had been down there encountered such balmy weather.

Lady luck was on their side, The Insurers got 98% of their gold and paid bonus to all involved in the salvage operation bonus on a successful venture. The Miner company had their payout from the insurer.

On our return trip playing card with the divers one of them while searching the ocean floor for this modern shipwreck. Discovered the remains of much older shipwreck. He discovered the name on the hulk SS Isis what you might as this diver found interesting This ship was actually once called the "Komos" renamed Isis 2 years before it sank off cape horn. It belonged to a German Shipping company.


There is a 1902 newspaper account that a ship SS iSIS was Wrecked in the Strait of Magellan with a cargo of gold and silver worth 150,000 pounds. The treasure was originally recovered from the SS Sakkara that was lost the previous month in the region states in route from Valparaiso (Chile) to Hamburg with a cargo of gold and silver, the ship ran aground N of Guamblin Island, Chile, no casualties. The German SS Isis came back to take the gold to Germany by was lost on the way back in the Strait of Magellan.



The cargo the Diver explained that 1500000 British pounds. In 1902 gold was worth 3.13 British pounds. Today's value of the gold would be worth around 62 million dollars. No doubt you can imagine the gleam in this mans eyes as he told me the value of it. Yet I do not know if he followed up on the salvage of that shipwreck he found by accident while doing this salvage operation.

There are littoral thousands of shipwrecks around Cape Horn. you can see just some marked on this map below.




The killer has always as it has always been the weather. The divers at the time got a dream run of weather. The last time I saw that type of weather was about 30 odd years ago as kid, Even then it was never as good as those 6 days.

Mal

 

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[Real of Tayopa]

Mormimg J.A.A. You have an ecellent memory. That was in reference to the depository, where they have a separate room with records, maps, etc. I WANT THAT !!! Of course as you said the bars etc. would be nice.

I have located that, but now need permits and financing for the initial work, plus I am no longer physically able, and no. I am not soliciting

 

[Real of Tayopa]

Mal, you have gotten off to an excellent start, A beautiuil and fascinating story. More when your duties permit.

Incidentally a side issue, I belong to the Order of the Golden Dragon.

 

[Real of Tayopa]

Mal, my grandfather was a seaman on one of the last sailing ships to round the horn of South America, He said it took them almost 6 monthes, and that he was wet most of the time, he developed Rheumatism from that, and the food was unmentionable.He said that they could see the end of the ordeal then a cold antartic wind would blow them back to where they started. I wish that I had paid more attention to him, but like most kiddies I tended to place him in the old foogie class and other things were more important.

 

[Shortfinger]

Mal, you have gotten off to an excellent start, A beautiuil and fascinating story. More when your duties permit.

Incidentally a side issue, I belong to the Order of the Golden Dragon.

I have to agree with the Don, here. excellent start, Mal. Keep them coming when you can.

Don, not only am I a member of the Order of the Golden Dragon, I am a Golden Shellback (crossed the equator at the date line).

JB.

 

[Real of Tayopa]

Short 'Finger' ?? Isn't that called the order of the Golden Dragon ?? Crossing the Internatioal date line and the equator at the same time ?

I WAS RETURNING FROM OVERSEAS IN 43 - GUADALCANAL--ALONG WITH HUNDREDS OF OTHERS, AND THE CAPITAN DECIDED TO VEER COURSE IN A SORTA SALUTE TO US, WE HADN'T ENTERED NEPTUNE'S COURT ON THE WAY OVER

 

[Shortfinger]

Short 'Finger' ?? Isn't that called the order of the Golden Dragon ?? Crossing the Internatioal date line and the equator at the same time ?

I WAS RETURNING FROM OVERSEAS IN 43 - GUADALCANAL--ALONG WITH HUNDREDS OF OTHERS, AND THE CAPITAN DECIDED TO VEER COURSE IN A SORTA SALUTE TO US, WE HADN'T ENTERED NEPTUNE'S COURT ON THE WAY OVER

Well, my understanding was shellback was crossing the equator, Golden Dragon was crossing the date line, Golden Shellback was crossing the equator at the date line. I could be wrong, that was a while ago......

JB

 

[Real of Tayopa]

Short finger, that makes sense my friend

 

[Shortfinger]

Short finger, that makes sense my friend

So, it seems like I may have unknowingly trod the same areas as both you, Don Jose (equator at date line), and Crow (bar on magnetic island).



JB

 

[South Sea mariner]

Mal, my grandfather was a seaman on one of the last sailing ships to round the horn of South America, He said it took them almost 6 monthes, and that he was wet most of the time, he developed Rheumatism from that, and the food was unmentionable.He said that they could see the end of the ordeal then a cold antartic wind would blow them back to where they started. I wish that I had paid more attention to him, but like most kiddies I tended to place him in the old foogie class and other things were more important.

If we could turn back time and was prepared to ask those questions we should of back then alas... My father sailed all around the globe. But never on a tall ship. Big cargo ships and that was scary enough. Sailing around cape Horn is like spitting into the eye of the devil. Not only due you compete with two might oceans crashing into one another but you get huge waves in the Furious Fifties.

Sailing around the horn in large ship can be bad enough.For a small sailing ship going against the wind from east to west you have to tack a ship against those monster waves. I can really admire those people who have done it.So hats off to your dad and raise a glass for me in memory of the old chap.

Cheers Mal

 

[South Sea mariner]

And please forgive my poor storytelling for the next yarn with my 2nd encounter with I think might of been a encounter with treasure hunters?

As to this day I am not quite who or what actually happened, if anything happened at all?

But the imagination does run wild? I had a strange passenger on my ship so I can only relate the very little facts there is. Just over two years ago I got my Captains license temporary suspended for breeches on my cargo manifest and for illegally discharging cargo mid ocean contrary to my bill of laden. Ie accused a little short of smuggling. A blemish on otherwise a good clean captains record. My ship was temporary impounded I got grilled by shipping authorities as my paperwork did not clarify who my cargo belonged to and the identity of the super cargo who chartered my vessel. Although smuggling charges was dropped as there was no proof of any illegal activity. In fact I had on arrival at my designated destination no cargo at all? As you could imagine it was a rather stressful time. Especially when a upset special prosecutor under a UN mandate grill your ass screaming its them its them isn't it?

Thus getting back to this strange passenger.... he was the most unnoticeable unremarkable person you could ever meet. The type you would pass in the street and never notice..... Yet....

As unassuming as he was? It was beginning of my troubles....A man of riddles who answers in questions?, is that the way of a Jesuit is it not? It made me wonder?

Once again Forgive my poor story telling as I struggle to find the words. So grab a coffee.... I will begin at the beginning.

I will continue....

Mal

 

[Loke]

...
I will continue....
Mal

Don't wait too long - I'm holding my breath here ...

 

[South Sea mariner]

Don't wait too long - I'm holding my breath here ...

Hello Loke you might want to take a big breath first as story is rather long so I will tell it in parts.

How do I tell the following story with saying I was the patsy in some thing I am not sure may or may happened?

Sounds insane does it not?

Perhaps I should present this story as a ghost story? The people was real even if their identity a mystery, their persona was all an illusion and their vessel does not exist.....At least officially.....

Ironic is it not having a cargo ship some might think your terribly wealthy? Sadly it is not the case many small ship owners go bankrupt all the time. The biggest costs of vessel is fuel, insurance and ISO compliance costs. Keeping good safety competent seamen on the books is hard as especially with wages and irregular work.

Most of the historic shipping families of the past are no more as more and more family shipping business became merged into large multinational global business. Because the 21st century transport needs called for bigger and bigger ships. Thus the small commercial ship owner is behind the proverbial 8 ball as they cannot get the large more profitable shipping contracts because they cannot compete on the economies of scale.. And their Provence is in the small secondary shipping lanes and less prosperous charters with some times unpredictable outcomes.

And such with my lot with my tramp cargo ship. Some times you may have a cargo to destination then in ballast to some where else depending what shipping agents pull in. Every day a ship sits in port it costs you. Everyday the ship is idle its costing you money. And lots of it.

As you can see being a skipper and shipowner can be very hard and stressful. My ship at the time was well over the used by date and the sea is very corrosive to old ships . Most of my crew are constantly engaged in repairs and rust prevention. Stressful indeed when operational funds run out. Especially when you get into situation with not enough funds to pay your way in foreign port. The proverbial caught between a rock and a hard place.

Well I am ashamed to say I found myself on that situation some time back then. At present I am doing well as one of the largest shipping companies in world based in Korea went belly up, thus freeing up shipping contracts with agents desperate to get a back log of goods moving again.

My apologies as I have deviated at little....A few years ago when I got stuck short on finances unable to make another port without payment. A ship sitting in harbor racking up large mooring fees is no fun. Drowning my sorrows I had a chance meeting of a strange character in bar with the offer of a strange charter. A boisterous old drunken bum of man with bright blue eyes with two island women in tow, one hanging off each arm. In another time you would imagine this old salt would have been a pirate almost as brown as the island girls he was fondling.. And old enough to be their father perhaps grand dad he was loving every minute of it. It was this character Who put me onto this “Christian mission charity” looking for a ship to charter.

The deal was to rendezvous somewhere in the mid Pacific with another vessel that shipping various needed goods to various remote islands in which my ships draft would find impossible to get near too. This smaller ship over one month would call back to this designated location unload goods off my ship onto theirs and deliver to these even remoter islands.

Mal

 

[South Sea mariner]

Its was allegedly a charity organization behind of this project. They had containers of donated charity goods in Apia. The whole project was overseen by a priest by the name of Father O'Faraday of the Pacific islands mission society.

Originally I dismissed the idea as I could not see why they needed my ship for the task as there was smaller vessels in port much better suited to such work with shallower draft and go to the remote islands directly. Yet as desperate I became I accepted the job. One month anchored inside the lagoon of huge remote atoll in the mid pacific acting as floating depot for a smaller ship. Their identities, credentials and papers seemed in order at the time. Everything was paid upfront. So I accepted the Job.

I had only my key crew as many of my other crew had left when the work first ran out. So I recruited various sailors from the islands. It seemed an easy job, well paid so much so it covered the expenses of my next voyage, with provision to deliver remaining containers and goods there in to Suva.

It did seem strange the cost of this venture was a lot more than the goods was worth in this alleged charity project. Or at least I thought? I asked father Faraday why he had such a complicated arrangement. His reply was the small shipping companies sting the small islands for every cent they have delivering goods as there is no competition and they name their price when shipping goods. Since it was charity he wanted the natives to benefit from the donated goods not the merchants.

I will explain further....


The goods declared was charity donated goods from bikes, canoes, hardware sheets of roofing, bathroom ware, clothes to building materials in several containers. My cargo ship has hold able to carry anything from cement, wheat to dry goods with containers on top of the hold hatch covers. Well suited for secondary smaller shipping routes carrying assorted consumer goods,

As for planning of the containers on the sea deck we always weigh each container respective weight in loading on the vessel for an even load which goes into our log and cargo manifest. When and where dispatched if en route. All cargo must have certificates on where the cargo being transported to. Sender and end user certificates. Technically for us having no cargo in the bulk holds we kept the containers in number 2 hold thus giving us better stability. As said we had this small group of containers a little all else. That and one passenger this father O'Faraday.

As I said previously he was quiet but unassuming man. Very knowledgeable about history as Such. I thought me might have been a Jesuit? Seems silly I know.

The voyage was uneventful to this coral atoll, several miles in diameter, large enough for a cargo ship like mine to be maneuverable without striking any reefs that underwater at high tide. Normally ships like mine would avoid islands such as these like the plague. We always sail designated shipping lanes well away from such islands.

At low tide there was a small sand island. It was off this small tidal island where we would meet up with this vessel. Strange enough this atoll was disputed territory between two sovereign nations. But here we were all to ourselves fishing at anchor until this other vessel arrived.,

Mal

 

[South Sea mariner]

To my amazement the other vessel turned out to be another charter vessel, but not a cargo ship but a brigantine by the Name “Bountiful Harvest”. This sailing ship visited us three times removing goods from our hold then disappearing again. Now this might seem mundane. The captain of the sailing vessel was a tall older gent, a real old salt old school skipper as dark as a native with dignified graying hair and whiskers that had a commanding presence that masked he was once a man of great strength and fortitude. You could not help not liking the man.

Yet there was things that never added up. Our elusive passenger father O'Faraday reminded me of Friar tuck or Uncle Fester off the Adams family! Some times slipped with his words from time to time that made my first mate a devote catholic doubted he was a priest? Yet here he was collar and all clucking over his charity goods like a mother hen.

There was several containers that had a strange cargo of empty wooden boxes. They was taken by the Brigantine the first visit but came back on the second visit and was taken away again by the third and final visit. Each box came back was banded with metal straps on all sides on returning the second time. Locked into shipping containers under the watchful eye of Father O'Farady From empty to heavy needing two men to struggle to lift the boxes. My islander crew and big and strong as oxes even struggled stacking them. There was at least 500+ boxes. They oversaw the loading with boxes in a cargo net loaded by my crane into the hold where they was packed the Boxes into containers into the hold.

I asked him what was in the boxes. He laughed and said you never believe me if I told you? And in Jesuit fashion answered the question with a question. You must think we have treasure in these boxes

As you could imagine as being captain and owner of the ship responsible for crews and passengers safety on board, I had the right to know what was being brought on board my vessel? He grinned and me and winked when is a Discovery not a discovery? When is crime not a crime? When is a treasure not a treasure?

Mal

 

[South Sea mariner]

Before I could give a confused answer, he winked and said “Rocks” The priest grinned looking me strait into the eyes as if screwing with my head. No seriously rocks. Volcanic rocks. It appears certain types of rocks can be melted at much lower melting points. And his charity had gained a contract which while out delivering charity goods in this part of the cyclone ravaged islands in the Pacific to collect certain rock from certain volcanic island groups. That have a certain density to be melted at a much lower melting point.. He then produced and article showing experiment of melting certain types of ground up volcanic rock and casting them into building bricks. The technique if successful would revolutionize building materials technology. In materials testing they had a much better materiel strength than concrete or brick.

But here he was showing me results from the materials technology institute from the university of Birmingham. A building built in this new material would last 1000 years longer than brick and cement building structure. And be moulded and cast to any size sort of shape, like lego bricks with no need for mortar. Or even cast as roof tile many times stronger than normal roof tiles.

The volcanic rock would be ground up into dust form and fed into a electric arc furnace melting the volcanic rock dust before it goes into the molten bath. Thus the molten rock in fluid state could be poured to brick molds whatever shape they wanted. It was secret trial of using just enough material to build and actual real size experimental building. A up scale test on the laboratory testing.

A radical new building material. While myself not being a building technology specialist And on the surface of that it seemed plausible?That is why he explained secrecy was paramount as the process did not have a worldwide patient on it yet.

Since we were well paid by this Christian Mission charity we saw at the time no questions too much as just saw the activities of this alleged charity. Also we was visited by customs looking for drugs and any other contraband prior leaving port and authorities found nothing so we did not expect any shenanigans in that department. After the final visit of the brigantine we were told to clear out to the next port.

Mal

 

[South Sea mariner]

In a parting gesture when Father O'Faraday transferred onto the sailing vessel when all the boxes once removed from the containers in the hold back to the Brigantine. Smiled and reminded me of the Cryptic riddle when is a treasure not a treasure? Then saying before I could guess the answer on the question, He said in a conciliatory manner you will get an answer in 12 months time...

And with that they were gone like if they never existed.....

When we arrived in Suva with my cargo manifest of now empty shipping containers from the last official port I cleared with cargo now empty, they naturally wanted to know where the cargo was shipped to? Father O'Faraday had over looked giving me the names of the islands those charity goods went to. Thinking back I suspect it was intentional just to give an in your face to some one?

Customs questioned my involvement with this charity, They looked and discovered the irregularities in the cargo manifest. I got fined for sloppy record keeping and my vessel sized until they determined what had happened?

All I could tell them is what I am telling you now.

But I was held for a while as said until an prosecutor working for the UN had arrived in Suva. He was pis--- off. He questioned me and my crew over and over. Tried get an accurate description of who these mystery people was?

Judging by the expression on his face of this man. It was he that got the intentional up yours. I had questions also unanswered I asked this man who were they. Ghosts he replied in a empty stare And my guess is you will never hear from them again.

He muttered they are a myth of rumour and innuendo taunting us with smoke a mirrors. Every time you think you are close your grasping at thin air!

While investigations later did reveal various islands received various goods that was listed charity donations by this charity. That charity turned out to be a dummy foundation that was registered under a false name and technically did not exist only in name.

Not only that the photocopy of my strange passengers passport was fake and there was no record of any father O'Faraday. The sailing Brigantine did not show up under port registry. The vessel did not exist. Nor did this University have any connection with that type of material testing. Everything about them was not as it seemed. It was only from the stat declarations from crew that absolved me from wrong doing except sloppy record keeping in the discharging of cargo under directions of the super cargo my charter.

Of course I got my ass grilled by authorities on suspicion of smuggling. There was no evidence of what or who or if? Of course leaving me just temporary suspended, fined and red face from being involved in such a venture. I was eventually allowed to leave port with my ship. Even if originally I believed they was charity with good intentions. What ever was in the wooden boxes bound by steel strapping is yours and mine to ponder over? Was it volcanic rocks or was it some thing else?

To this day I am not sure what went on but now very careful who I do business with. Now I dot my I's and cross my T's with the paper work. And work now as rule with only registered shipping agents. Not with old hard drinking grinning bums in bars who turned up by the way on the brigantines last visit. Clearly I had been played... and the most irritating of all for what I do not know and by who I never know?

12 months later got the answer to the riddle? If it was an answer at all? I received a very large bonus payment from an offshore bank in the Virgin islands that only existed for this one payment created yet false ID. Posted with a little message.....

When is a discovery not a discovery? When is a crime not a crime? When is a treasure not a treasure?

When it never officially existed to begin with? If it never officially happened it never happened.

Mal

 

[Real of Tayopa]

A beautiful potential treasure story Mal, I would rate it ***** coffee ? you earned it.

 

[Real of Tayopa]

Mal, that sounds like the M.O. of the unholy trio, they are generous with a pixie sense of humor.

 

[Army of 1]

Great story Mal , plenty of mystery to ponder ..cheers Mick