Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1853-08-26


! RECOVERY or Losr TREAsrRns.- Kcnnc-
bee Journal gives the following account Of
the success Of an expedition lately fitted ont
from Gardiner for the recovery of treasures
| from an ancient wreck ON the coast of Ncnc-
zucla -
The money for which this search was insti-
tutcd. was lost in the Spanish ship san Pedro,
Of 81 Guns, ON the coast of Ncnczurla in the
year 1914. 1t was during the revolutionary
trouble there, when the provinces were in re-
volt against the Spanish Government. At
the time Of her loss, the ship lay about fifteen
miles from the island of Margurrittl, and
about five from the smaller islands Of Cochc.
and had ON board specie to the amount Of
several millions in Spanish dollars and doul-
looms. The vessel was destroyed by fire. ori-
ginating in the sirt-room and supposed to
have been set by an cmisSarv of the insur-
gents, who had introduced himself ON board
The specie was stored near the magazine and
in the explosion which cnsuol was scattered
out Of the stern of the ship, like shot from Il
gun. Many Of tie crew peri6hcd in the
flames.
Attempts have been made from time to
time to recover the specie. but without much
success. Last fall, some cntrrprising citiH"n>
of Gardiner fitted ont the schooner Ia.nartine.
for the purpose of prosecuting the search
with yigor. She was provided with every
thing necessary t. ensure sUccc.s-dINinr
hcll>, submarine ormor, air pumps, and II
steam engine on deck to work the pumps.
The crcw and officers numbrr'd sStrcn.
Having obtained Il permit from the cXi,,ine
government to engage III the search. coHIi-
toned that per rontugr of money recovered
should 90 into the government treasury, they
proceeded t. the spot and commenced opera
tions The wreck wa. fortunately found
with but little difficulty. lying III sixty feet
Of water, and i'll Il spot quite favorable for
operations but the explosion Of the shin Is
mag1zn" had 50 scattered the coin that no
considerable quantity OF them remained to-
@.thcr. Besides. they were buried t1 IT,"
depth of six inches in tie sand. which had
to b, sroopcd up and passed through coars"
sieve; making the operation good dead like
California mining, with the additional disld-
vantage Of working in the confined space of a
diving-hell. in ten lathoms Of water. Two
persons made the Il 'sccnt at "a timc. and h"-
ing supplied constantly with fresh air. could
remain down for several hours without in
convenience. " hen the space cmhracrl in
the circumference of the bell had been worked
out. it was moved to another place. and in
this manner they examined the bottom all
around the wreck, in all probably an acre OF
ground. The money wls found S,rcwn pretty
equally over the bottom. generally bent and
buried by the force Of the cXpusion and in
some instances driven into the timber of the
ship We were shown cannon shot, to
which adhered mass Of shells and iron rust
having IL couple Of dollars imbcdcd in it.
Many interesting relics and curiositcs
were brought home, some of which we exam
incd \ large pullv Of block mahogany. three
lrct long, having hgnum vitae sacaIcS, had
withStopl the worms we'll, but supported Il
pretty numerous colony of Shrll-liSh. \
piece of tarrcd rigging looked very fresh.
There We're couplc of muskcts, with their
antique Spanish locks eaten up with rust. \
leather dirk-Shcath, the blade Il mere thread
of rust within also cannon shot, muskct
balls, chain shot, copper bolts, and all the
usual movable apparatus of Il ship of war.
And there were, alas some sad relics of hui
mHmity-thc bones Of men who rcri>hcd in
the skip. \ cannon now ON board the
schooner, has the bones of II man 5 forearm
embedded in the rust.
They were intending to commence work ON
the snip itself, intending to make thorough
search, when the existing WAY compelled them
to abandon the enterprise. and return home.
Information had been given that seizure Of
their gains wa, intended, to furnish !uul, to
one of the contcnding parties.
OF the amount ohta inel by the expedition.
we cannot speak with authority. We eUrSN
it is very considerable. Well cro1it,d re-
port SAYS the boxes that came ashore were
Wcighty. and not to bc moved witlou, rii,rt
We had occular evidence of the czi>.ca.' of
about twenty-five OF the dollars in a hag.
EiuII,- sl,v-, ,s lt,- v Jp--rs I'l.,I- t,.r 81.