The Sun.
London, England, 1825-11-03 00:00:00

VIGO BA Y.

In the year 1703 Sir George Rook attacked,
in Vigo Bay, 17 French and Spanish line-of-bat-
tle ships, having under convoy eleven gal-
leons, from South America, laden with im-
mense treasure, of which fleet were captured
six of the former and five of the latter, the
remainder having been scuttled and sunk by
their crews, to save them from the English. Smol-
lett states the galleons sunk to have had on board
specie and rich merchandize to the value of 14
millions of pieces of eight ; which, reckoning the
piece of eight at 11. 12s. 6d. gives the enormous
value of twenty-two millions seven hundred and
fifty thousand pounds sterling.—The Spanish
Government have always had their eyes on
this submarine treasure, but it has been reserved
for the poverty of Ferdinand the Seventh and
the enterprize of the present age to attempt its
recovery. Ferdinand having been under some
obligations to a Capt. Dickinson, gave him a grant,
under the sign manual, of the " sweepings of Vigo
Bay," reserving to himself, however, one-half of
the gross proceeds thereof, whatever they may
be. In these " sweepings" are of course com-
prised the men of war and galleons above alluded
to, and which, strange to say, are notwithstand-
ing the lapse of time still entire—indeed they are
even visible at low water, being in only 10
fathoms water, on a clear rocky bottom.—
Captain Dickinson having interested, in his
grant from the King of Spain, eight of the
most respectable and wealthy merchants in
the city, has, with them, fitted out the ship
Enterprize, with a complete diving apparatus and
crew, for the express purpose of attempting the
recovery of the treasure known to be on board
the galleons. This vessel sailed a fortnight ago,
and is supposed to he now at work in Vigo Bay.
The anxiety of the Spanish Government for the
success of the undertaking is great, but not
undivided—our own having a strong feeling ;
it being understood betwixt the two Govern-
ments that whatever may be the gain it
shall go towards liquidating the British
claims on Spain. With this view the protection
of a line-of-battle ship and frigate in Vigo Bay
has been promised to the contractors, so soon as
the possession of a single piece of eight renders
it necessary. These gentlemen, much to their
credit, have attempted the speculation at their
own risk, and not at that of the public, but we un-
derstand that Capt. Dickinson, who is not their
equal in wealth, has disposed of a few of his shares
at the enormous advancce of 1,000 per cent.—
Indeed we have seen one of these shares,
bearing the names of tl►e parties, but from
motives of delicacy we forbear from giving them
to the public, respecting, as we do, the quiet,
unpretending, and upright manner in which they
are carrying on their undertaking, and which, if
successful, as we both hope and expect it will be,
will direct the attention of the scientific world to
the recovery of submarine treasures as earnestly
as that of the mercantile has been given of late to
those which are subterranean.

At an early hour on Tuesday morning last, a
daring burglary and robbery was committed by a set of thieves
at the livery-stables of Messrs. Townshend, in Portland-street,
New-road, and a number of saddles, bridles, &c., of considera-
ble value, belonging to different gentlemen whose horses stand
at livery there, were carried off. It appears that the thieves
forced open the stable-door, and • about six o'clock on that
morning, as the watchman close by was going off duty, he ob-
served three men coining from the stables, loaded with saddles,
&c., but they being dressed as stablemen generally are, and
the bell on the premises having just before rang for the men in
the service of Atessrs. Townshend to commence their day's
work, the watchmen thought that these three men were belong-
ing to the stables, and therefore offered them no obstruction,
so that they got clear off with their booty, and no trace what-
ever has been had of them.

We have received files of Lisbon Papers from
the 17th to the 20th October, and the Aus-
trian Observer to 21st October. Both sets of
Papers are, however, destitute of interest. The
following extracts are from the Austrian Obser-
ver., and contain a simple continuance of the
journal of the siege of Missolonghi:—

VIENNA, OCT. 21.

The Austrian Observer contains extracts from Numbers 85
and 68 of the Greek Chronicle, giving the farther journal of the
siege to 3d September. On the 31st August the Greeks sprung
a mine, and making a sally immediately after, they blew up
the works which the enemy had thrown up within the Franklin
battery, and made themselves masters of the Union Dam.

On the 2d September a Greek schooner brought a supply of

provisions, &c.

SEPT. 3.—The enemy is again entleavouring to fortify him-
self in the Union Dam, 40 toises from the Franklin. The
enemy's fire is suspended : we fire at times from our battery at
his tents and redoubts.

We have but the short subjoined paragraphs
to add to the extracts from the French Papers
of Monday, which we gave in our yesterday's
Paper. It would seem that Spain has not yet
given up all hopes of a Loat, though perhaps no-
thing more was wanting than the dismissal of M.
7 Bcamunez to remove the smallest degree of
confidence that could be placed in the promises
of the Spanish Government. This event has been
effected by the intrigues of the fanatical party,
and who have thus succeeded in their attempt
to displace a Minister not sufficiently alive to
their interests, and who hoped to promote the
benefit of the nation by the establishment of the
Consultative Junta. With such a King and such
a party prevailing in the Cabinet, what has Spain
to expect but a succession of disasters and humi-
liations the more galling, because all might have
been avoided. This unfortunate country is thus
exposed to the effects of the furious passions of
the different factions that reign not only in the
kingdom but in thp very bosom of the Government.
Every spark of patriotism is extinguished) and