Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-07-14
Duke Of Argyll Will Soon Begin Seek
ing for It on the Rugged Coast
Of Scotland.
IS SUPPOSED TO BE A VAST SUM
Wreck Has Been Buried in the Sands
for Centuries-A Bit Of Inter.
esting History.

temptS TO recover the immense treas !
ure which lies in Tobermory bay, On
the coast of Argyllshire, buried be-
meath the sand in the wreck of one
of the finest ships of the Spanish
known as the Admiral of
Florence. This vessel, built and fit
ted out by Tuscany, carried not only
one of the commanding admirals of the
Spanish fleet, hut also the greater
amount of the treasure of the armada, !
says the Marquise de Fontenoy in the
New York Tribune. 1t may be remem-
bered that after the latter was routed
and broken by Drake and Howard Off
Calais $50 vessels determined TO find |
land, sailing down the west coast
of the Hebrides and of Ireland. Fifty
four ships, shattered and scurvy-strick
en-, did eventually manage to reach
home. The remainder were lost on
the wild western shores of the British
isles The Admiral of Florence put
into Tobermory for food and water,
whereupon the MacLean OF Quart, one
of the chieftains, boarded her and
claimed her for King James of Scot
land. The Spanish admlrals answer
was a lighted match to the magazine
and the Spaniard with her crew and
the Scottish chieftan with his retain
ers We're all blown to atoms.
ha la n
long year undisturbed. until entirely
buried by the sand and rock. For the
laws of treasure trove and concerning
the rights to wreckage are very strict
throughout the British isles, espec
iany in Scotland, and for time a
fierce contest ragged between the crown
and the ancestors of the present Duke
of Argyll concerning the possession
of the gold known to be on board the
sunken Spanish flagship. King James
II. of England. both while still Duke of
York and lord high admiral of the
realm and afterward when he had
succeeded to the throne. laid claim in
the courts to this unbound treasure
trove, but was defeated. Then the
lords of Argyll of the day set to work
to recover the specie, and employed
men with diving bell for the task.
1t was not. however. until the early
part of the 18th century that some
bronze cannon of exquisite workman.
ship were recovered, and also some
gold doubloOns. But thereupOn the
Null islanders became wrought up by
superstitiOus fears of misfortune fol
lowing the disturbance of the buried
treasure and drove the searcherS
away, and the work was abandoned
From that time on the wreck was
left untouched until after the sue
cession of the present duke to his
fathers honors and estates. Fond OF
historical researches, he had devoted
much time to the study of all docu
ments bearing upon the matter, and
finding that the amount of gold known
to have been on board the ship wher
blown up ran into the millions o
ducats, he determined to resume tn,
search with all modern appliances
He has intrusted Captain Burns o
Glasgow with the work, and the lat
ter has had for a considerable TIM
past a steam lighter, named the Sea
light, and several barges moored owe
the spot where the wreck is know
to lie buried all doubts as to the lC
cality having been dispelled by tn
quantity of relics in the shape of skulls
warped iron work, ancient timber:
stone and iron cannon balls whic
have been recovered since the wor
was taken up last spring.
The dukes right to the great trea
ure. when recovered, will be beyon
all question. For he has in his pc
session patent, signed by King Cha
les I. on February S. 1641, by whic
that monarch. in his capacity as so
ereign of England and Scotland, gran
ed to the Marquis of Argyll of tn;
day the wreck of the Amiral Florenc
and of everything on board and pc
tanning to the wreck, but stipulatin
however that he should pay to tn
Duke of LennoX and of Richmond
Tooth part of the treasure trove a
ter the deduction of all expenses.
1t is doubtful whether this Tooth pa
of the treasure could be claimed I
the Duke of Richmond and of Lenno
of today, for his peerages are of q
altogether different creation, datir
from the reign of Charles H., and II
earlier dukedom of Richmond and lie
nox has become extinct in the ma
line, being represented on the distf
by the present Earl Darnley.
Much satisfaction has been Great,
by the news that the articles alrea'
recovered from the wreck during Il
last few weeks give an assurance tn
the dukes quest is now about to
crowned with success. For thrOu:
no fault of his own his ancient duk
dom has become so impoverished tn;
greatly to his distress and to that
his royal wife, he has been oblig
to let his ancestral home, Invera
castle, to Eben Jordan. head of &
Boston dry goods house Of JOrda
Marsh & Co. 1t is a grand old plaC
comprising some $4,000 acres of mea
ow and moor land and as much mo
in rugged timber land and forest. T.
castle itself dates from 1850, occur
ing the site of a former castle, par
of which have been preserved-nOta
ly the old chapel described by S
Walter Scott in his Legend of MOI
rose" and now used as a library.
Inverary has belonged to the duke
family since the early part of the IA
century, and formerly his ancesto
possessed the right of life and dea
over all the inhabitants of that pa
of Scotland Indeed, even today
hereditary honors bear witness to t
grandeur of his house in ancient TIM
for among the many dignities viii
the duke has inherited are the Ket
ership of the Great Seal of Scotlar
the Hereditary Mastersnlp of the 81