Eight ALS to Mrs M.R. Cumming (Jean's mother).

TREASURE HUNTING IN THE COCOS ISLANDS

8 ALS. Holograph ms. in ink. 8vo & 12mo. 31pp total. Old folds, a little spotting. Written on MV Veracity at Barbados, Balboa, Cocos Island, San Jose, & the Canal Zone, 23 April - 18 August,

Rare correspondence from the Worsleys during their little-known time attached to the 1934-35 Treasury Recovery Limited Expedition. These letters date from their second attempt at recovering treasure apparently buried on Coco Island by pirates. Seven are by Jean and one by Frank. 

 

"Like Shackleton, Worsley was always short of money, and he was vulnerable to get-rich-quick schemes" (Thomson, 166). In fact, treasure hunting was the subject of a great many discussions between Shackleton and Worsley. Worsley believed he'd found a pearl lagoon in the Pacific while commanding a New Zealand government schooner at the turn of the century. Then there was the legend of the lost island of Tuanaki, which Worsley believed lay 200 miles southeast of Roratonga. Incredibly, "Shackleton was so keen on searching for Tuanaki, he made it part of his scientific programme for the Quest expedition of 1921-22" (ibid, 163).

 

Frank's age made it difficult to find work at sea and so he turned to writing and lecturing. His first work, Shackleton's Boat Journey ..., appeared in 1924. The opportunity to join a treasure hunt surely would've appealed and, in 1934, Worsley finally got his chance.

 

These letters provide an excellent insight into the Worsley's marriage. Frank met Jean in 1920 at New Zealand House, where she was employed. They married in 1926. "Jean Worsley ... was attractive, lively, and modern; in every way a very special person, which she had to be to survive the difficulties of marriage to a middle-aged and out of work sailor through the troubled years of depression between world wars. Fortunately, Jean shared his passion for the sea and sailed with him on every possible occasion" (ibid, 155).

 

They write affectionately of one another, there's plenty of detail of their life on board, tropical storms, delayed mail, engines stalling, minor injuries and the like. There's a revealing paragraph in Jean's letter of 7 May, which Jean specifies is confidential: "I'm sick of this company - one or two have worked hard and done their best then someone else goes and undoes it. Our salary does not seem to have been paid in & they still owe most of our last lot. All very unsatisfactory." Despite this, they had a good time and Frank was sought out at seemingly every stop by old acquaintances and others eager to meet him.

 

Worsley writes: "We have done a good deal of digging and prospecting the north part of the Island but so far without result. The country is very difficult to cross ridges ravines precipices & heavy jungle. The climate consists of two seasons - the Rainy season & the rainier season, There is a rumour of a nearly dry season between Christmas and April 1st but I haven't seen it.

 

Of course, Frank is best known for his exploits on Shackleton's Endurance expedition, notably navigating the James Caird from Elephant Island to South Shetland.

 

Thomson, J., Shackleton's Captain: A Biography of Frank Worsley (Mosaic, 1999).

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