Sea Adventure: The hermit of Cocos Island (colour litho)

The hermit of Cocos Island. Cocos Island in the Pacific is one of the few localities possessing authentic claims to hidden treasure buried by pirates of the past. There is no doubt that the pirates Bennett Graham and William Thompson here hid their rich spoil, but their own precautions against discovery have since been intensified by earthquakes and faked maps. In recent years, especially since the opening of the Panama Canal (which has made the island less remote), Cocos has been visited by various yachts and other craft, yet without finding rich gain. A German named Gissler searched on the island, mostly alone, for 18 years until he was drowned, keeping away other treasure hunters by means of a Costa Rican "commission" and a shot gun. Illustration for one of a set of 50 cigarette cards on the subject of Sea Adventure, issued by Hignett Brothers in 1939.