600 barrels of loot found on Crusoe island

The Guardian ^ | Monday September 26, 2005 | Jonathan Franklin

[Candor7]

The archipelago is named after Robinson Crusoe, but perhaps it should have been called Treasure Island. A long quest for booty from the Spanish colonial era appears to be culminating in Chile with the announcement by a group of adventurers that they have found an estimated 600 barrels of gold coins and Incan jewels on the remote Pacific island.

"The biggest treasure in history has been located," said Fernando Uribe-Etxeverria, a lawyer for Wagner, the Chilean company leading the search. Mr Uribe-Etxeverria estimated the value of the buried treasure at US$10bn (£5.6bn).

The announcement set off ownership claims. The treasure hunters claimed half the loot was theirs and said they would donate it to non-profit-making organisations. The government said that they had no share to donate. It also prompted speculation about the contents of what is considered to be one of the great lost treasures from the Spanish looting of South America. Chilean newspapers were filled with reports that the stash includes 10 papal rings and original gold statues from the Incan empire.

The hoard is supposedly buried 15 metres (50ft) deep on Robinson Crusoe island, also known as the Juan Fernández island, home to Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk, the adventurer immortalised by Daniel Defoe as Robinson Crusoe. Selkirk was dumped on the island and lived alone for four years before being rescued. His exploits brought worldwide attention to the islands.

For centuries treasure hunters have scoured the island in search of booty which was reportedly buried there in 1715 by Spanish sailor Juan Esteban Ubilla y Echeverria. Using everything from old Spanish ship manifests to teams of islanders with shovels and picks, foreigners have made so many claims of discovering the lost treasure that islanders are usually sceptical of the proclamations.

This most recent announcement, however, deserves greater credence because of the equipment used by the treasure hunters: a mini robot that can scan 50 metres deep into the earth. The robot, dubbed "Arturito", was invented by Chileans and over the past year has grabbed headlines by breaking some of the country's biggest criminal mysteries.

First, the robot detected the buried arsenal of a rightwing sect known as Colonia Dignidad. The guns and rocket launchers were buried at some 10 metres and while the authorities had searched for years, the robot found the buried weapons almost instantly. Then, in the case of missing businessman Jose Yuraszeck, Arturito was able to analyse the soil and identify the molecular composition of human bones, allowing investigators to dig straight to the body of the murder victim.

[Candor7]

Wow! We need a robot like "Arturito" on Oak Island, and in the search for missing teen Natalie Holloway in Aruba! Just think how many Clinton closet skeletons might be found! ( LOL)

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[Minus_The_Bear]

awesome story but don't trust a thing off the guardian

[Grizzled Bear]

estimated the value of the buried treasure at US$10bn
______________________________________________________
That's a lot of Booty!

[Cicero]

Ten billion dollars. That's a lot of dinero, if true.

[blam]

"awesome story but don't trust a thing off the guardian."

Ditto.

[FreedomCalls]

Or at Fort Marcy Park.

[LongElegantLegs]

Incan Booty Ping!

[11Bush]

If I was ever lucky enough to find even one barrel of loot, I can guarantee there would not be a press release.

[Sooth2222]

"awesome story but don't trust a thing off the guardian."

"10 papal rings"

10 popes visited there????

[DaveLoneRanger]

Treasure!!

[neodad]

That's a lot of Booty!

The Jennifer Lopez of buried treasure.

[alancarp]

Treasure Hunting Procedures:

1. Find treasure
2. Remove treasure from site to a known disinterested country
3. Announce treasure. Consider lying about source.

Alternate Procedure:

1. Make legally binding deal with all cognizant governments.
2. Find treasure
3. Make sure the agreements will be upheld. Consider showing small pieces, but not hinting at total hoarde.
4. If deal broken, see other procedures.

[Lokibob]

Now where did I leave that map?

[A CA Guy]

Seems whenever some government hears about things found of value, they ether want to make claim to it or give a near nothing reward.

Maybe the best thing next time is to dumb, take possession and give it to whoever you wish and let the government find out way later.
If the treasure gets converted from a historic piece to cash or equivalent value, declare the income.

[Candor7]

Yours: "awesome story but don't trust a thing off the guardian.
Ditto."


Yeah, I know the tabloid scale of the Guardian is "very high" but I resemble that remark!

Note that Aussie ABC news has also picked up the story.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1467856.htm

Perhaps there is something to it after all.

Imagine, 600 barrels of Incan Treasure! Indiana Jones, move over! I bet that Zacharia Sitchen would like to inspect those artifacts! Perhaps we will learn some of the secrets of where the Toltecs came from, or maybe there is a gold model of a spaceship in them thar barrels! We likely will never know if the Chilean Government confiscates it all.

[somemoreequalthanothers]

It's no wonder it couldn't be found without advanced equipment. Fifty feet is a damn deep hole in the ground.

[Appalled but Not Surprised]

$10 billion? That's not as much booty as Clinton gets!

[tubebender]

Can I borrow the Robot. I've dreamed for 60 years of finding the Lost Dutchman Mine. I buy Lotto tickets as a placebo...

[Moonmad27]

Good list! In your procedure you forgot step 2, choose one or two really cool pieces for self and store in undisclosed location.

[vox_freedom]

Excuse me while I hum the theme song from Gilligan's Island.
...like Robinson Caaaaruuuussooo,,,

May Gilligan RIP.

[Candor7]

Yours:

"That's a lot of Booty!
The Jennifer Lopez of buried treasure."

Bump!

Sunshine Booty....we all dream of it!

[Candor7]

Yours: "10 papal rings"

Did you mean 10 papal pings ?? ( LOL)

[flashbunny]

"ARRRGGGH...did someone say they wanted to see me booty???"



It's the dread pirate thomas!

[tubebender]

BTW...don't get caught between this Booty and Jerry Rivers...

[Rebelbase]

"Spanish sailor Juan Esteban"

[Robe]

Fer later

[FairOpinion]

GGG PING


"A long quest for booty from the Spanish colonial era appears to be culminating in Chile with the announcement by a group of adventurers that they have found an estimated 600 barrels of gold coins and Incan jewels on the remote Pacific island. "

[MontanaBeth]

Rrrrrr!

[gcruse]

I don't suppose there's any move to give back to the Incans that which was stolen. Didn't think so.

[Candor7]

Keep the treasure, just gimme one of those robots !
( LOL)

[Eagles6]

"The announcement set off ownership claims.

It's mine, I tell you, mine!

[Mike Darancette]

10 popes visited there????

Typically stuff went from the New World to Europe not the other way around.

[PeaceBeWithYou]

Here, I fixed it for you.

1. Find treasure
2. Remove treasure from site to a known disinterested country secure site known only to you.
3. Announce treasure. Consider lying about source.

[solitas]

<grain_of_salt>
Then, in the case of missing businessman Jose Yuraszeck, Arturito was able to analyse the soil and identify the molecular composition of human bones, allowing investigators to dig straight to the body of the murder victim.
<'/grain_of_salt>

[Eagles6]

bttt

[woodb01]

Wow! We need a robot like "Arturito" on Oak Island

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oak Island? Are you nuts? Get it over to Iraq! Uncover some WMD's and the whole National Media empire of the Democratic Party, and the democratic party itself will go nuclear! The radioactive fallout would make the democrats and their media propaganda arm the most hated people on the planet! Add to that find specific plans related to attacks on the U.S. and ties to Al Quida, maybe even a few French, German, and Russian parts and the U.N. Collapses too!!!!

A guy can dream can't he??

ANTI-DNC Web Portal at ---> http://www.noDNC.com

[coconutt2000]

Treasure:

1) Find treasure.
2) Lose treasure.


Reality sucks. :-)

[strategofr]

"awesome story but don't trust a thing off the guardian"

thanks. we get a lot of it posted here. It's just a tabloid?

[fight_truth_decay]

Don't count on any vast discoveries off parts of the coastal US as the Abandoned Shipwreck Act laws dictate that... " abandoned shipwreck in or on the public lands of the United States is the property of the United States Government. Any abandoned shipwreck in or on any Indian lands is the property of the Indian tribe owning such lands".

Whats on board or on site of these ships..goes to the State and/or Government. Even though it is loosely stated the finder be, as stated: " recognize(d)the interests of individuals and groups engaged in shipwreck discovery and salvage". The "finder" would be lucky if even his or her name were mentioned in the State museum to which it would be available to for public view.

There's a lot of great finds out there, maybe not as grand as the "600 barrels of loot"; but artifacts of historical importance (cannons, ivory, artifacts, etc) remain quietly resting in the "deep" and kept a secret by many commercial fishermen/ divers who's occupation has them diving for scallops, sea urchins, etc.

State salvage laws may vary..that I have not researched. Just your story caught my eye and know in the State where I reside..you'd be lucky if you even got a handshake.

[ElkGroveDan]

It probably was hidden by Ben Gunn...especially if there was no cheese.

[Candor7]

What you say is true but then knowing how to deal with the government helps. Its the old," here is a sample of the treasure, which I will let alone forever, unless we can reach some agreement on housing it for posterity in a museum you will build for me and lease to me for 100 years, and I get all of the book rights, film rights, and income from admission at the door." sort of thing. I can't believe that the corporate attorney in this case thought through it well before hand, or as many say, the story may be false. Time will tell. Meanwhile we dream about 600 barrels of things like these:

[montomike]

Aaaaargh, Matey!

Shiver mee Timbers!

[starfish923]

The Guardian

I don't think much of this rag.
But it's a fun story for Sunday night.....beats the garbage on the boobustoobus.

[WIladyconservative]

Is that a yard arm in your pocket or are you just glad to see me? (International "Talk like a Pirate Day" was September 19th.)

[Peace will be here soon]

"The hoard is supposedly buried 15 metres (50ft) deep on Robinson Crusoe island"

"Supposedly"....means they have not dug it up yet. So until they do, it is speculation.

[Walkingfeather]

WOW .... JUST WOW!

[Squantos]

Wow I wonder if this is the same great great great great great grandfather Juan Esteban Ubilla y Echeverria my old Pappy bragged about ?........:o)

[Candor7]

You are so right in thinking what such a robot could do in Iraq, finding WMD's. Maybe we can let President Bush know he needs to hire the company for a snoop and poop mission in Iraq? Wow, the thing can see 160 feet underground! Must use a real powerful electrical source ? The operators must work in lead lined containers, or maybe thats why it is a robot. It must use ground radar or microwave energy that would be harmful to living organisms. I bet the earthworms wriggle right up out of the soil when that robot is turned on? Here is a picture of "Arturito", not very big is it?

[cryptical]

Wow I wonder if this is the same great great great great great grandfather Juan Esteban Ubilla y Echeverria my old Pappy bragged about ?........:o)

I'm no relation, but I'm pretty sure sometime in the past I was disenfranchised by someone related to this treasure. Therefore Jesse Jackson and I demand reparations!