TREASURE TROVE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1038, 3 September 1883, Page 4

TREASURE TROVE.

A curious and interesting piece of news, which reads like a page from Mr Chkrles Reade’s “ Foul Play ” has been communicated to a correspondent of .the N.Zw Tablet , in a private letter from ]the Cape of Good Hope. It appears that Colonel H. G. Robley, who is now stationed at Capetown, read not long since in the history of that place how a Dutch galliot, on her way from f Batavia, anchored in Table Bay in May 1648, • On the 16 th of that month, -being driven ashore by a furious northWcfet gale, she sank off the mouth of Salt River. The crew built a few huts and Supported themselves as they could till they were taken off in 1649 by a Dutch fleet homeward bound. The spot was reported as a suitable locality for stores, gardens, and the like, whereupon the Dutch East India Company fitted Out an expedition consisting of three ships under the command of Van Rubeck, who landed ia April, 1652, founded the present colony, and became its first Governor. Being interested in the narrative of the early rdisastef, Col, Robley learned that the whereabouts of the old galliot were perfectly well known. Embedded deep in sand, she still lay on the bar at the mouth of the river. Not long since, however, a cutting was driven through this sand-bar in order to convey water to the docks. The cutting brought about a change in the tide-levels, and and disclosed the position of the wreck below.. In 1557 on Mr Adams, a diver, went down, and succeeded in recovering'two brass six-pounder guns, some Ibairs of silver, a larger number of coins, and a quantity of rare china. Mr Adams, however, died, and the search was never resumed until the other day, whfen Colonel Robley—who had gone dirt," after a heavy storm, to examine the spot, and actually saw the deck of ftho; galliot under the sea—took steps to renew the operations. Having ob--tdined a government concession, he is now by the help of a professional diver wotkingithe wreck “on salvage.” The name of the old ship was the Haarlem, 'and she was laden with cases'full of curiosities and antiquities for sale to European 'museums. These cases, judging from the contents of which Mr Adams recovered in 1856, containing 'goods, rare china, old glass, bales of Oriental 1 silks, etc. Colonel Robley Hals'bought from the family of the de’ceased Mr Adams some valuable vases, coins, and the like, and hopes to be rewarded by the discovery of a large number of similar treasures. The china is not at all injured by having been 225 years under tnlTsf& j; but the silver articles have suffered considerably, and the silks must of course be spoiled. Colonel Robley is overwhelmed with applicaffom persons eager to take shares in his interesting, enterprise.