The following winter the wreck was buried under 5 feet of sand by the tides, and by now she is lost once more, buried perhaps deeper than ever. The exposed position and the strong tides have kept the _Lutine’s_ treasure safe for over a century. But whether they will keep it safe for ever, no one can say. It is a dozen years since I fingered one of the silver coins salved from the _Lutine_, and wondered whether the treasure was to be recovered at last. Still the _Lutine_ is not forgotten, and only a few months ago I received from Lloyd’s a letter from an inquirer in Vancouver who desired full details of the wreck, with a view to carrying on further salvage operations. I sent him the particulars he required, but so far I have not heard of operations being started. For over a century wind and wave have beaten the men who sought to recover the wealth of gold and silver that went down with the _Lutine_ on that wild October night. The fortune still lures men on to win it, and, in spite of the many disappointments, a lucky turn of the wind and tide, combined with improved salvage appliances, may yet make some future treasure-hunter a millionaire. CHAPTER IV Without the diver, treasure-hunting beneath the waves would be impossible. The salvage expert may make the most brilliant plans, collect the most up-to-date and scientific plant to assist him, but in the end it is the diver who carries the work through, and upon the courage, determination and skill of the diver the success of the expedition depends. To dive to a depth of 5 fathoms, or 30 feet, is a task that the average man could accomplish without much difficulty; most men, too, would be able to reach a depth of 10 fathoms or 60 feet, if they were in decent physical condition. But at 15 and 20 fathoms and over the body is called upon to stand exceptional strains and so exceptional men are necessary. Quite apart from the many risks, deep diving is very arduous, and seldom are men found with the physique that will enable them to dive 100 feet and over. The deep-sea diver must be trained like an athlete, perfectly sound in wind and limb and heart, and in tip-top physical condition. A fat diver stands little chance of attaining great depths, so the finest divers are generally on the slim side, men without an ounce of superfluous fat and with muscles tough as steel. The physical strain placed on the body and heart merely by diving to these great depths is not generally realized. To ask the human body to undergo pressures three, four and five times greater than atmospheric pressure is expecting the body to undergo strains three, four and five times greater than the body was built to stand. It is like expecting a motor-car, designed for a load of 30 cwt., to carry a load of 6 tons. We should not expect the car to do that. Yet we not only call upon the human body to perform similar feats, but the body actually does perform them without collapsing.