Scottish-born Donna James, who now lives in London, shares a talk with O'neil Banton (left) while his friend Tyrone Williams looks on, as they lean on a boat on the beach. They are both fishermen.
Melville Cooke, Freelance Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
THERE ARE no sun-ken galleon-diving operations off the south coast of St. Elizabeth, and you won't find anybody with a metal detector scanning the beach, located about 20 miles east of the capital, Black River.
Treasure Beach's wealth is in the warmth and industry of its people, qualities that have led to its two main industries, fishing and tourism.
"The tourists we get down here are more the quiet ones who don't want all the excitement. Some of them don't even stay in a guest house. They just come with a tent and camp out near the beach," Evorine Simpson, proprietress of Evorine's Cool Spot said.
Which is not to say that there isn't lodging aplenty. Treasure Beach has its own version of the 'Bottom Road', Montego Bay, hotel strip. There is Golden Seas Guest House, Sunset Beach Resort, Mountain View Cottage and, of course, the Treasure Beach Hotel, among others.
There is no 'Hip Strip'.
In addition, during the peak season, beginning in November, many residents reserve a part of their homes for tourists.
"A lot of houses here don't have burglar bars," Ms. Simpson said. "The last murder in the community was three or more years ago - 'and everybody know how dat go," another resident said.
What's also unusual about Treasure Beach is that the community's two main industries operate from the same shore. Tyrone Williams goes out in his boat, 'The Public Enemy', to the Pedro Cays, from where he sells fish to commuting boats. It is not a job for the faint-hearted - the trip to the Pedro Cays takes a "couple hours well", with only a few minutes in sight of land, and the fishermen spend a long time when they get there.
"Mi naa come back 'till around August," Williams said as he prepared to leave last week, stocking his craft with sticks to make fish pots.
An attempt by a hotelier to restrict access to the beach just over a year ago by putting up a wall resulted in a confrontation as the barrier was destroyed - twice. Matters arising from the incidents are still before the courts.
European Connection
This part of south St. Elizabeth is also distinguished by the golden skin of many of its inhabitants, sometimes accompanied with startling blue eyes.
Various tales purport to explain the phenomenon. The predominant theory is that a ship sunk off the coast of south St. Elizabeth and that the surviving European sailors swam ashore, eventually settling in the Treasure Beach area. Opinions vary as to whether it was a German or Scottish ship.
Agriculture has begun to make inroads in the economic life of Treasure Beach. "It's just recently a lot of people have started turning to agriculture," Ms. Simpson said. She plants the main crops, watermelon and cantaloupe, in her home garden.
Treasure Beach is calm, but not sleepy. Looking out to the horizon, the sea and the sky merge in an ever-changing light blue whole. From the beach, the mountain which is capped by Munro College is a blue-green mass that rises suddenly out of seemingly flat terrain.
It is as unlikely that someone will shout 'there's gold in them thar hills' as it is for the legendary ship to be found - with gold to boot. But Treasure Beach does not need sunken doubloons or a ritzy hotel scene to be wealthy.
It already has all it needs.
