Article clipped from Castlemaine Mount Alexander Mail

JUE MOUNT A1. A correspond, island in Mahoi kuown as Oak of Not* ^tia,to the New York HereM f°'Io»»g narrativem it w* tow SfcSTSf-w,mg the *“*'h* ■*■. l»loomi^gy fcre«t6in lumm ^ p?vince *M * wild«wd wiid*iU irsi: “lvh,6ak-now-■ -I • Winter. With )i«rn .„,l »k__• small clwir’f^* W!;?r: wilh here aAd there Some hardy settler's hut ,c^ ar°*« the smoke of then British “« ^ ^ * thebeen wrapped n l Jtorx »de bad“kn! c '-sr-oft: h^x11oub endeavored to ^od him UJ° the Cari‘‘*ut it ui fruitleea tv.k tZ ,V* CAT'er'mule a* th« »a T“e m*n *m mi “• * ue din masyears before lie bad aM.B^d'in^™ 1 *** “,“ysssjs^jSStlw7.tbrhl t*!1' v( th'is iffilS»«»d“tTto **“ MU|' *lon* *h° N'«»*'o=;«hor»i isi^Tu7J.\hrb0r^\A!L^n^“X^w“and people gave up the search. }‘5S?Ui LW1 5gi ’• “L ^ttled ia Chester, N.S.. Lsud aIJL ^Z. Uk,n« uP «*1 »non Oak b v . ™ “*n had *rwte’1 their hutsthey , 'mmraced their work of fa)lia* the forest,,v!! 7h ^ 7 ,#Ua,d- M‘f;inn»- while roaming U* c A f™ °Ue i *'■• WM wtoni*hed to discover T,r*t fo7^r^*n,,«tma. and upon poshing his let at urn further, be dncovcred that the firstexgrow tli of timber had been cut dowu. and a secondrw}b.r.,,r,osl ,, while some atumpe of oak that bad f-llca under »on»o whit# man's axe were IViaibio Adjacent to this ciearing“‘ stood*#!! old oak whose forked branches fell over the small clearing. and to the forked part of the oak. by meansoi a Moodeo trammel, converting the fork into .i •mall triangle, was attache an old tackle block.Mur11 be marrrlled, much be wondered.” at these cvideiuv s of prior settlement, aud away he went to • iniiu and \ aud aud reported bia secret The following day they mated the spot together, and on alteioptmg to •amove the block, it broke to pieces, »o dec.x cd waa it by age and exposure.!ll,e exploring tli# island they found that the r. mains «.f a tolerably well made road frvtn it to the west Shorn of the island were still disc-mib’c ; and part of this read ri still seen. The first thought that at nick them was that this wM the island re-for red to by the dy.n; sailor. The secluded situa-tion of the island, the marks of former habitation,1JTJ*rcJl i« keeping with all they had' heard of Kidd a hidden plunder. They w ere still more» ' v«v win iiivivtrorg.y impressed with this belief wheu they found tb it the ground over which the block and tackle hung had s.C’cdau.1 formed a hollow. Atouce the three pi -neeis set t-. work. Clearing the young limiter from the sunken ground, and removing the surface sod for about two feet, they struck a tier of flag atones evidently not formed there by nature. Subsequently, they ascertained that these stones were not indigenous to the is'ainl, but had beta conveyed there frem Gold River, two miles dis-t n.t.Removing th« stones, the treasure-seekers entered the ni uth of an old p-t or shaft that had been li lei. 1 he mouth of the pit was sereu feet in diameter, the s des of it being of tough bard clay, but the e\r:h with which it had been tilled up was soft and loamy, and easily removed. Still they de-•crude 1 the shaft foot by foot, discovering some new indication that increased tbeir hopes of at last hitting the long hurud treasure. Ten feet from t' e surface they struck a floor of solid oak logs, t gbtly attached to the sides, and below this, two bet of vacant rnare, caused by the tilling of the pit having settled down. They pushed their explorations 15 ft. blither dowu without striking the s uight-for pr /e ; and. after driving sticks into the mud, filled up the shaft, and abandoned the work. lt;\inpelled to abandon the search for want of money. Smith nod bis associates endeavored to tnli»t the asaittarca of their neighbors, and told thi r se.Tet; but the |lt;e*ple were po^r aud iguor-ao:. aud laughed .it them fur attempting to find Kidd's money wheu he invariably kille.l a nigger to gvuid it * Fifteen years tsuscd without any farther attempts bciug made to fathom tho mysteryof the old pit.At length an old resideut named Lynd heaid the btury of the pit, vim led the islaud. examined the ground, ami believing these were the vaults of Kidd, went hlt; me and formed a company. Early in Ibe following summer they loaded r *ui*11 s homer with tools, aud, arriving at Oak Island, commenced the search aucw under the supervision of the three original discoverers. lagging down,• % 1* V a t a’ I. . t .a J I. __ w' ..ial. am 1the cooper a knife. Other bores were sunk near tbia one, but with the same results. Among the •Jnoloa taken out vu more Spanish grass and partof the hoop ef a barrel, with the bark in a good •late of preservation.After making several bores with like results, and finding u impossible to keep down the water without an ample exchequer, they thought of the Dutchman and his anchor, and then looking upon them selves and the treasure lhat lay hiddeo beneath them, many of tho compauy withdrew from the work. The few who still persevered, from the fact that the water in the shafts fell and rose with the tide, became convinced that there wore subter-raueau ohaoncla couuecliug the Lav with the pit.Acting upon this belief, they searched the shore, when upon the cast tide of the cove they found tiue well-made drains entering the base of the island at low-water mark. Removing the covering, to their Surprise they found that the stones forming the arch of the drains were coated with a cover of this •sl*auish grass. Further investigations showed that the dr.. in* had been ruu ui the direction of the old pit, and considerable coovauut fibro aud Spanish graas was fouud iui they progressed. They oudoa-vored to follow the direction of the drain, but failed to find it connecting with a perpendicular shaft. The water soon rushed into the drain upon them. The next attempt was to sink a shaft, ana endeavor to strike this drain or channel on tbo line between the old nit and the entrance at the water. At a depth of 74 feet water fillod up the ahaft. Several other shafts were sunk with the same result#; aud w inter coining on, the w ork waa abandoned until apriug. Spring came, but the disappointed share-ho.dera—some of whom hsd sunk their last dollar in the numerous pita—were disheartened, and the work was not renewed for nino years. In the meantime, the charter of the company expired, and the seekers after Kidd's treasure returned to more profitable employment, still, however, convinced that the treasure wm there and accessible, if they could only stop the flow of water, so as to follow tho old pit to its original bottom.The story of the excavation in Oak Island had iu the meantime spread over the whole province, and there were hundreds who were disposed to m*ka one more attempt to fathom the mystery. Accordingly, in ISftl,'Meetings were held at various points on the province, full particulars of the enterprise laid before them, and stock to the amount of iOtM) dola. subscribed. Several new pits were suuk, and tunnels run from them in the direction of the money pit with tho view of finding the subterranean channel that floods the pits ; but after an expenditure of 12»K dols. the results were uot satisfactory. The company, which comprises some ef the most influent! d gentlemen ot H difax, have increased their capital stock, and, d'rnkr rwytt are now budding a dam round the b*»c of the island f*»r the purpose of cutting off the bay water from the subtonancan channels, when they propore to puiup the water out of the excavations already made and follow the channels to their termini. The company feel sanguine that Kidd’s four millions of gold are a'inost w ithin their grasp. It is estimated that fully £100,000 have been expended already upon the search ; and the present company, who are men of means, are determined to solve the mystery of Oak Island it it c vsts as much more.Such is the history of the “toilers of the isle. All tbo members of the first two companies have passed away, and it remains to the third Generation to follow uj) the work of their ancestors. Should their expectations lie realised, and 1 must admit that the indications are good, what a remarkable mystery will be cleared up, and what a seimtion produced ; that a »tu|*enlt;llt;-us work of art lias been constructed by unknown hands at Oak Island is a certainty. That most of the material ured is indigenous to this country i* also certain. What these works were constructed for, and by whom, ami what they contain, alone remain mysteries, which, lot us hope, will soon l*e cleared up.(.1Tut Fmperorof Austria must have many painful unis*Is to go through. The other day he held an audience at which some 500 officers, many of them maimed or wounded, were present, and in the midst of the throng there glided a lady in deep mourning, followed by six daughters, all draped in black The poorest subject who has a |H-litiou to uuke has only to write his or her name in the book I*foreliaud to luve a personal interview with the Kmjwror of Austria, and sol must be the talcs and woeful the )lt;etttilt;*ns which are poured into the cars of that grave aud care-worn mail. The fate of the fallen is not the worst grief to the survivor. There is a story current in Vicnu* of a father who died of the shock of hearing that hii four sons had been killed in one battle ; but tho bufferings --f the families left without any intelligence of those dearest to them uiuat be dreadful. There is one youug Boheiuniu uobknun of whom nothing can lie beard since the 3rd of July, although every effort has beeu made and groat sums offered to nlt;ccrlaiu his fate. His fortune to which he has come in waa enormous,01 tland the whole p operty is locke 1 np. for there is no proof of his d-ath, although it io beyond doubtot me urw original uiacovcrura. inggmg uowu,th-y discovered the sticks planted bv Smith and Yaud. and dfteou feet further down they struck a1 . . I______ I I «... ( /...tl. lt;tathat his remains lie under the dank field of Kouui-gratz or at the bottom -»f tho Elbe. Although the war was short its work w ill lu*t 1 »ug ; politically its effects will eudure wheu dynasties have asseddorsecond tier of charcoal, and teu feet furlhor, o about twenty feet from the surface, a t er of puttyI. I ... . .. . J. . i.______I .4 1... I..,,.awayFurther down was a fla-stone one foot by two, with sour* rudely-cut letters and figures u|ui if. They ho|lt;ed thia inacript'ou would assist in solving the mystery, but they were unable toxlecipher it. At a d-pth’of ninety feet they fouud indications »f water; at ninety-three feet tho water increased. Night coming on, tiny sank a crowbar down five feet, and struck a hard impenetrable substance found bv the sides of tho pit. Some supposed it was wood, otheis called it a chest. They quitted work for the night and returned home, confident that with the morning’s sun they would possess the long-sought treasure ; aud they discussed the of it* division. Morning settled the for on repairing to work they the abaftWhen has a lady more water in her system than wl.eu she lias a ci'aract on her eyes, a creek in her back, a wa’erfail ou her poll, nud her shoes high-lied ?—When the has a notion (an ocean)in her head.N O T I c y.I THE UNDERSIGNED, hereby Apply for One 1 Acre of Land, under the 42ml section of the Amended Lund Act, situated back of the Five Flags Hotel, Campbell's Creek. Surveyor. M. Amos.GILES CHURCH.questionmatter, however; for on f .un i sixty feat of water in the .......After fiitile attempts to Kail the water out, pumj« were put id; but there, to*, failed. As they numt*r.l out. the water still stood at the same level. 1-1.0 next ,Wi to sink a new ahalt b«d» the old ouc, aud tunnel from it under the old shatt. in hniie of striking the money cheat When within . - / . i ii.. «,rtS In lu)‘/n tbe tiiunt-1\\TANTED, a Young Lad for a Store, who is v t acoiistoiut-d to the Grocery Trade. Firet-class references required. Apply to Corbet and Rogers, Marktt-sqUare. 480 dc 25\\TAN*TED Teuders for the V v Slecoere for Tramway. FSupply of 500 Split nil particulars canbe obtained at No. 3 TurMel, near Harconrt James Hughe.*, Contractor. 46odc27tnking tue money enwu Ill or 15 feet of the pit the earth between the tunnel and fit trnvc way. and the water rushed ... so tapidlv that the men ha.1 barelv time :tl. their lives bafore 65 feet of water tided the ......... This placet! a damper upon theenergetic| aeekera after a hidden treasure ; andtU wnru W.. rve„ n, ...»an igiig fat it it*.FRYERS DISTRICT ROAD BOARD-N otTc E.•••• -w — tunuel and shaft.•eokeime wore was yven up ---pounds ha-1 been squandered in iha.eboHers now began t-» thinkFifty rears glided into eternity before the w ork .. vet the shafts and tunnels still re-n-ae and fell with thewas renewed, yet the *h*taSStuaKuJMiclearlv that the island had been pierced by subter-an Uoe» Thi, brinps u» down to a p.r.od Z nft—L A number of young men mA l person producing to tne unairnian ixeceipv for Dog Registration, Nos. 438 to 5tk), iu-elusive, will be Rewarded.(Itv order)S. H. HAZLETT, Acting Clerk to the Board.Boanl Room,Fryeretown, Dec 15, 1866. 425 dc 23M ^ y«r. A, aodn.ollln-ir J.n.leo-W'r.. whm thry 'n0“”“l're^.'h'(Fromninety-eight feet from tho struck a hard wooden obstructumwhich they con chest The ma-hich the•truck a hanl wooaen qb»hlt;r-~, fidentlv believe-! to be the '^bi Jb*,cbm.ry b»«Mlorn, i«niih M.fu P ™. X .b.*Sr« cour.gr, tbrywhen it .ln»pp*»i » r 1 . thick • They aoontunl-er, four and a and coattnued(„.,nd T.UI.,1 do-n .l«.ut twentylionnc till *na »Kvr .. -l^nngtin the W ^ -ears of those em-,nohes. 1 „ i J-atod the esrs of those em-.hRrp metvlbc^nnd » bar of iron won Idl‘,0^e, l^nTTrormed through • keg of naik. andml\t on being worwMV K They ware within »the laborers ^ '‘uT twenty inches furtherfew feet of K,dd VS^'d^d l*low it the samedown more.wood was ^ ^. . • _ I.Wan mil WiSafterwards tnud. Tn# o j “JL oDC end hadthe “ Victoria Govcrnuieut Ga/.ette” of27th Noveml*ar, 1866. Na 132.]REWARDS FOR THE DISCOVERY ILLICIT DISTILLATION. Etc.OFTT is hereby notified that Rewards, varying in A amount from Five Founds to Fifty Pounds, will be given for such information as may lead to the detection and conviction of persona engaged in Illicit Distillation, or iu the purchasing or selling of Spirits upou which the duty has uot beeu paid.Tho rewards will vary in amount in proportion to the importance of tho scisure, nod will be |ayatleimmediately upon conviction being obtained, andwill be in addition to the portion «*f the fine or of the proceed* of the seizure which by law ia to Repaid to the jiersoii affording the information.Information may be siren to the Chief Inspector of Distillerirs, at his office, Lv Trobe Street West, Melbourne, or to any of the officers of policethroughout the colony.The naaie of the i*ersjn giving the information will not be divulged, unlees with bis own consent.LESLEY A. MOODY.3M my 67 Chief Inspector of Distilleries,
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Castlemaine Mount Alexander Mail

Castlemaine, Victoria, AU

Tue, Dec 25, 1866

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Rianne B.

CA 28 Jan 2019

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