Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-30
PIECES Of EIGHT FOUND
IN SPANISH GALLEON
Wreck in Tobermory Bay
Gives Up Wealth to Seek
erS of Treasure.
Foreign Correspondence Of The Star.

LONDON. December 10. 1910.
In large green room under Win
chester House in the city, a small and
orderly little gathering Of about
twenty might have been seen recently.
concerning themselves in an extremely
romantic enterprise. which brought
back memories OF Treasure Island" and
bold buccaneers
There was little in appearance to
distinguish the assembly from that in
Hall AZ" which adjoined on the left
side. or that in Hall Az which ad-
Joined on the right side, except, per-
haps. that two of the men looked like
actors and a few Of the others were
sporting-lookine young men. There
was. too. a certain gayety, combined
with self-consciousness. which sug-
gested that these shareholders did not
take the business too seriously, and
were aware OF its unusualness.
number Of curious objects were
chairman. A heartening chink Of
coins occurred in various parts Of the
room as the time went on.
1t was. in short. an extraordinary
general meeting of the Pieces of Eight
syndicate, which is searching the
wreck Of the Spanish armada ship that
has lain for three and a half centuries
In Tobermory bay. The chink one
heard was made by pieces Of eight
striking together as shareholder after
shareholder was permitted to examine
them.
Which was the one first taken from
the wreck asked a shareholder.
The engineer pointed to thin. dark
coin. The shareholder said it ought to
be marked and kept separately as the
first fruit Of their adventure.
There were nine Or ten Of them, thin
silver coins. about the size Of a silver
dollar, with the royal arms of Spain on
a spade shield On the front was a de-
vice with the mineral WILL
There was 10 doubt about them. The
long sword concealed in q crust OF de-
post and shells seemed right enough.
and SO did the two guns stuck together
and imbedded in deposit, and broken
Dot handle and an ivory ornament.
In a quite Unconditional voice the chair
man went over the circumstances and
progress Of the company. showing that
whatever was the name OF the snip that
lay in a spreadeagle under tie sand IN
Tobermory bay. she was undoubtedly the
great treasure ship Of SPAIN OF the siN-
teenth century state papers.
He described the work OF the suction
dredRe in removing the top layer OF Silt
Then they had come to the most dimcuit
part.
The gaIleon had a crew of 400 and must
have had adequate provisions on board.
When she was sunk great assembly OF
crabs and lower forms OF marine iiie
would appear on the spot. fed By the pro-
visions and the dead men.
Huge oyster shells had interfered badly
with the pump The divers had got down
to the skeletons. and il was there that
the few pieces CT eight had been found.
The Spanish, embassy. he remarked. had
approached them about the interment OF
the bones until they could be taken to
Spain. Tie chairman thought that the
company ought TO pay the cost OF coz
fins and Of the temporary interment.
The immediate business of the meeting
was to sanction a new issue OF LOW pref
erence shares for the purchase OF
stronger suction dredge. the huge oyster
shells found at this spot proving 100
much for the present dredge. The snare
extraordinary general meeting broke up.