MILLIONS UNDER THE SEA.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8819, 22 May 1907, Page 1

MILLIONS UNDER THE SEA.

There is a fascinating air of romance and adventure about tlic expedition which left East India Docks in the steamer Alfred Nobel, to search for sunken treasure worth £60,000,000 off the coast of Africa. According to Captain O. A. P. Gardiner, of Bloomsbury, who heads the expedition, the African coast is lined with bullion sunk in every kind of vessel from old Dutch galleons to modern liners. Here is an alluring list of a few of-the treasures which it is hoped will be brought to the surface:— Immensely rich treasure captured from pirates and sunk in the WilholKt der Secnuda. Priceless china, bullion, tin, lead, and silver, sunk in the Dutch galleon Middleburg, which was scuttled off Hoetje’s Bay 102 years ago to avoid capture. Valuable cargo lost in the Dutch t Government’s armed merchantman Grazeustein in 1698. Copper, tin, and silver of great value, which went down in the Aberdeen White Star boat Thermopylae. Captain Gardiner lias served in the Chinese navies, and is an officer of the Royal Naval Reserve. His attention was drawn to the records of the many wrecks which have occurred along the African coasts, and he spent several years in endeavouring to locate them.

WRECKS DISCOVERED. He was rewarded by the discovery of twenty-nine wrecks, which could be reached, and tho result' of his discoveries was the formation of the South African Slavage Company, Limited, -with a capital of £35,000. The steamer Alfred Nobel, once the Oromea, a pleasure yacht, and more recently engaged in carrying dynamite, was chartered, and no pains or money was spared in equipping her as a salvage vessel. There will be 30 hands, including two. divers, all ex-Navy or.naval reserve men. They will sign on for five years, and will be given a 5 per cent share of all treasure found. “We are not going to look for wrecks, but we shall do salvage work permanently, ’ ’ said the captain to an Express ropresntetivo. last evening. “There is at no salvage company in South Africa, and eight or nine valuable boats are wrecked there every year. The Cape Government claims 15 per cent of the value of all silver raised, 25 per cent of the value of gold and precious stones, and 10 per cent of the value of other articles, but Captain Gardiner is quite satisfied that there will be enough left to please everybody concerned.