Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-10-11
THE DIVERS TRAP.

Everybody knows Old Point Com.
fort, Fort Monroe, Newport News,
the Rip Raps and Hampton Roads
at least on the maps and in the his.
tory of the civil war
The story l am going to tell had
its scenes in that locality, chiefly un-
der the waters of Hampton Roads,
and the time runs through nearly
three centuries.
On black, stormy night in 1929
there came sailing in past Henlopen
a Spanish caravel, the Ell Dorado,
carrying 10000 ounces of gold in in
gots of so pounds each.
The don in command looked in vain
over the black, seething waste of
water for light of a boat that might
have on board native of the coast.
He paced the gallery to the high
proved ship, called on all the saints
and tore his hair out in handfuls.
AID the time the caravel drove on
in the storm and struck the reef
where the ripraps were constructed
long afterward.
Next morning she had disappeared.
No one had seen her One survivor
of the crew washed to shore and lay
dead to all appearance. Not soul
in the world knew that a rich treas
ure ship had been on the spot.
Old Louis Peran was about the
oldest man living anywhere on Mary
land east shore. He had been born
there and his father before him.
They were not of the ancient Mary.
land stock. A tradition went that
the first Peran known there was of
Spanish blood, old Louis Peran's
great-grandfather.
Louis Peran himself showed no
trace of such blood, but his young
grandson-likewise Louis Peran-
had an olive complexion, black curly
hair, large brilliant dark eyes, and
the naughty nose of the original
Peran, whose portrait hung IN the
old parlor of the manor house. The
intermarriages had all been with the
early English colonial families. Pc
. rams had fought in both wars-the
Revolution and the civil war-and In
the last four men of the family had
given their lives, and now, in 1872,
the old grandfather and the young
grandson comprised the whole race.
Not man nor woman else was left OF
the Perans
This October evening the two sat
on the old, dilapidated veranda. II
had an outlook ON the Atlantic, and
white winged clippers We're skim
ming the waves in the moonlight.
Louis, said the old grandfather
suddenly, laying down his pipe, ''yor
love the sea, and / am going to tel
you a sea story. Every Peran loves
the sea, but for 200 years ! know ol
one only that has been a sailor.
II am going to tell you Of that
Peran and OF his ship. Ny father
told me the story, and you may tel
your son some day. Still i don't
think you will. Think it viii be nc
longer private family history by the
time you are gray headed.
1T was in 1759 that the FL Dorado,
20 guns, Don Louis Juan de Agiado
Perano commander, was selected TO
convey from the Peruvian and Mex
lean mines an immense treasure IN
gold and gems home to the king OF
Spain.
Don Louis gathered his treasure
safely enough, but one night, hylng
the yellow royal standard OF SPAN,
he drove in here before an awfuI
storm and sank on a reef. Adversf
winds had beat him out Of his cours'
for days, and it was all unknown
waters.
Just one man was saved. de MAJ
been struck ON the head by talinI
timbers and was picked up On TN
shore senseless. When hls healu
was restored his memory was 0lf nA
He could not tell his name nor wha
country he sailed from. He had bee
found on the beach. nearly naked
but he could tell absolutely nothini
not even the name Of his ship, Q