At the beginning of the 19th century, a liberation war took place in Peru - the local population rose up against the Spanish colonialists. The Peruvian treasury was evacuated to Panama, but on the way it fell into the hands of pirates. Despite the fact that the sea robbers were caught, the Peruvian treasury, known as the Lima treasure, disappeared without a trace. For about two hundred years, her unsuccessful searches have continued. The estimated cost of the valuables is about three hundred million dollars.
It was 1820. The Spanish colonialists who had conquered South America rushed about in anxiety. From the south, they were attacked by troops under the command of General José San Martín, and Simon Bolivar with his army cut off Peru from the North side. The Spanish Viceroy sent wealth, mostly plundered by his subordinates, to Panama. Five ships with the Peruvian treasury left the port of Callano. But the journey was not cloudless, and an unpleasant surprise awaited the squadron near the Gulf of Panama.
The pirate goes hunting
The sailors met someone they would not even want to hear about - a pirate ship, led by Alexander Graham, then known as Benito Bonito. This fearless pirate once served in the Royal Navy and commanded the Devonshire brig. He was one of the heroes of the Battle of Trafalgar, but after the death of Admiral Nelson, his feat was forgotten, and he himself was humiliated. And Alexander went to the pirates.
With a truly devilish instinct, Graham attacked a galleon called the "Relampaga". And it was real luck. In a fierce battle, the pirates took possession of the ship, which was literally packed with treasures. The defeated ship was directed to Cocos Island, which today is called "Treasure Island" or "Pirate Safe".
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According to legend, a sea robber hid Lima's treasure in one of the caves located on the coast of the bay. In the future, the treasure was supposed to be divided among the pirates. But off the coast of Costa Rica, the marque was attacked by two British brigs. In that battle, most of the pirates died, and the surviving sailors, along with their captain, were hanged. No one managed to find out the secret of the Peruvian treasury.
The Spaniards trusted the pirates
There is another version of the events described above, according to which the main part of the treasure was transported on the ship "Mary Diir". The ship was headed by the pirate William Thompson. The Spaniards promised the sea robber a substantial reward for transporting the cargo. He was told that the cargo consisted of highly classified government documents and would be escorted by security.
But Thompson never saw documents transported in barrels! To satisfy his curiosity, he decided to take possession of the secret cargo. The customer's security was killed before the ship sailed. Then the pirates entered the hold and opened the barrels and numerous boxes located there.
There was no limit to the joy of the sea robbers. The treasures themselves swam into their hands! Raising all available sails, the pirate ship rushed into the open sea. The Spaniards quickly realized their own mistake. Just at this time a military frigate was entering the port. A boat rushed towards him, and in a few minutes the captain was already in the know. He turned his ship around and set off in pursuit of the pirates.
However, the Mary Deer was incredibly fast. She easily broke away from her pursuers and disappeared over the horizon. Thompson decided that the best place to store the treasure was Cocos Island. Being uninhabited, it was located away from the main sea routes. It took three days to drag the treasure from the ship into the cave.
When the work was finished, the pirates left the island. But they failed to get out of the bay. The path of the adventurers was blocked by a Spanish frigate pursuing them. As a result of the battle, the pirates were killed, only a few people, led by the captain, remained. Ordinary pirates were executed, and only the navigator and the captain survived. There was still a hope to find out from them the place where the treasure was kept.
The captain of the Spanish ship was in a hurry to Panama, and he had no time to look for treasure. He decided that he would find out the secret that interests him on the way. Soon the pirate navigator fell ill with a fever and died. And Captain Thompson, even under torture, did not want to tell anything. He understood that he would be alive while he was silent. Nevertheless, he managed to break free, but there are a couple of different versions on this score. According to one, he simply escaped at a convenient moment, according to the other, in 1821, he was released from a Spanish prison by a detachment of the Liberation Army.
The treasure is not given to hands
The further fate of Thompson is connected with Canada, where he was for 20 years. The former sea robber saved money all the time. He wanted to get to the cherished island, take possession of the treasure stored there, and live royally for the rest of the time. He knew where millions of dollars worth of treasures were kept, but he was forced to live in poverty and hoard. Despite all his efforts, the required amount was unattainable.
Finally, in 1841, he managed to get to know and then quickly make friends with an English captain named John Kitting. Thompson reveals his secret to a new friend and offers to share the treasures. The Englishman immediately agrees, and they begin to prepare to sail. Unfortunately, for the former pirate, the treasures of Lima remained inaccessible. On the eve of sailing, he fell seriously ill and just before his death handed over to his friend a map with the location of the treasure indicated on it.
Kitting has found a new companion. Captain Baugh became it. They rushed to the island, but did not inform the team about the true purpose of the trip. Having reached the Coconut skeleton, they went ashore, ostensibly to hunt. On the map, they easily found the treasure cave. Taking some valuables, they calmly carried the treasure on board, and none of the crew learned anything.
Since that time, they began to "hunt" daily, and the team found their behavior suspicious. During the absence of companions, interested persons searched the captain's cabin, and found a bag of jewelry in it. The sailors rioted and demanded to share with them. Exactly ten hours of time were given for reflection.
Kitting and Baugh decided to hide on the island. Late at night, they sailed away in a rowboat, and then took refuge in a cave. For several days, the team tried to find them, but this search was useless. Then the sailors divided the treasures they had and sailed in an unknown direction.
Several months passed. Whalers descended to the island in search of fresh water. There they met Kitting. He was thin and overgrown. He told his rescuers that his crew rebelled, captured the ship, and he had to flee to the island. He did not say a word about his companion. Apparently he killed Baugh, not wanting to share the treasure with him.
Kitting returned to Canada with a small bag of jewelry. He could live comfortably, but this seemed to him not enough, and he strove all his life to return to Coconut. Before his death, he told the secret to his comrade Fitzgerald. He, in turn, did not manage to get to the island, and gave the story to wide publicity.
Time passed, the story was supplemented by various inventions and over time it turned into a beautiful legend. It is not clear where several maps appeared with the designation of the desired place. But, unfortunately, no one has found anything to this day.
