Buried Treasure of Casco Bay: A Guide for the Modern Hunter — John Shaqi
Buried Treasure of Casco Bay: A Guide for the Modern HunterKennedy, Ben F.
History
Buried Treasure of Casco Bay: A Guide for the Modern Hunter
Kennedy, Ben F.
Casco Bay (Me.) -- History; Treasure troves -- Maine -- Casco Bay
Now here is an island that fairly reeks with legend and treasure lore.
Certainly no island in the Bay so ideally lends itself to piratical
practices with its deep landlocked harbor, hidden coves and thick woods
that even today shelter all observation from the sea. All of which lends
credence to staunch belief that at one time in its history it was the
favorite haunt of smugglers and pirates. Jewell is only a little island
of but two hundred and twenty-one acres, one of the outer islands that
fringe the boundaries of Casco Bay. Being out of the beaten path of
tourist travel, it has not received the attention that its natural
beauties merit.
George Jewell, from whom the island is said to have taken its name, came
from Saco, Maine, and is presumed to have purchased the island from the
Indians in 1637.
From earliest times it has been traditional in the history of Jewell
Island that a pirate’s treasure lies hidden somewhere on its shores.
Jewell Island has several so-called “treasure markers.” These “markers”
are a pile of flat stones lain one on the other, until the marker
reaches a height of about four or five feet. It is near these markers
that treasure was supposed to have been buried. How near, or just where,
is a question that might be answered by your metal detector. I most
certainly would give the shore and beaches a good going over.
This island can be reached by the tourist boats that go to almost all
the islands in Casco Bay. If the boat does not stop at Jewell Island,
you can go to Cliff and cross over to Jewell by rowboat. The trip across
the channel is a short one.
CHAPTER XV
GREAT CHEBEAGUE ISLAND
Here we have one of the largest islands in Casco Bay. The name is
pronounced “Shar-Big.” This name in Indian language means “land of many
springs.” The Indians used this large island as a gathering place for
their outings and feasts. Many Indian families would come to Chebeague
Island and spend the day boating, fishing and eating. The Indians were
the forerunners of the modern day tourist.
On Chebeague you will find large shell heaps still visible after
hundreds of years. These piles of shells are the debris of countless
feasts held by the Indians.
Numerous relics of these Indian days have been found, and as late as
1935 crude implements of warfare, some household utensils, Indian
skulls, and a curious stone pipe were unearthed.
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