Though that Phips should ever cease from wreck fishing or treasure
hunting I could not well believe, seeing that such things were ever in
his mind. Even now, when we were doing so wondrous well, and were like
to be, perhaps, the most notorious of finders ever known from any
sunken ship--as, in truth, we did become--he was always a-pondering
over other searches. Thus, he would ever be telling me that, not very
far away from here, there had sunk the ship which was taking home
Bobadilla, another Adelantado (but of Hispaniola), and that 'twas full
of treasure gotten by him. Amongst other things which he said he knew
there were, was a solid gold table of three thousand three hundred and
ten pounds weight[6] and much coin and jewels. And he talked of coming
forth from England after he had once gotten this treasure of ours
home, and seeking for that. But I told him--for we were now as
intimate as brothers--that first let us finish this job, and then time
enough to think of others.
Now, our next task was to get into the bullion room, and this we did
after very considerable difficulties, seeing that those locks of which
I spake were so extremely strong; but even they yielded to us at last,
and we got to it. And, Lord! what a sight was there! The silver was
packed in bars and sows and bags, tons and tons of it, so that verily
I did come to think that our ship of two hundred tons would never move
again, unless 'twere to sink, and that we should never get all up.
Yet, as it did happen, what we found was less than our ballast, which
for a two hundred ton ship is usually twenty-five tons of iron and
thirty tons of shingle; so in that respect all went very well.
During all this time Alderly had been behaving in such a manner that
there was no earthly fault to be found with him, and so, it is but
just to say, had our Coromantee. They, the men of Provydence, helped
at the hauling with a good will, working hard all day long, and
singing cheerfully and pleasantly at night, and Alderly even went so
far as to express himself satisfied enough with what was to be his
portion, or percentum. For, he said--
"Never did I think there was aught like this in the ship, and, though
I do see very well what I have lost, yet also do I see my gain, and
shall go back to Nassau a very well satisfied honest man."
And his diver, who was a Bermudan, descended of the early English
settlers in that island--which rich Mr. Waller, whom I had often seen
about the late King's court, a gentleman and a poet, wrote so much
about in its praise--certainly did do his very best, and so did the
negro, both working under Woods. And in this way, though a careful
watch was always kept on all that was found below the surface and all
that came above, they did so manage to delude us and throw dust into
our eyes, that--but this you shall find later. They were villains all,
and they deceived us, yet at last a righteous vengeance was had of
them. So I go on.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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