Raising Sunken Treasure Ships in Vigo Harbour.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 150, 17 April 1886, Page 3

Raising Sunken Treasure Ships in Vigo Harbour.

The Vigo Bay Treasure Company received by the Lord Gough on hor last trip a cuiious collection of articles taken from the treasure galleons sunken in the harbour of Vigo Spain, in 1702 There are specimens of logwood and mahogany that, ~in spite of their 181 yeara' submersion, are in a perfect state of preservation. Dyers who have experimented with the logwood state that it is even better for dyeing purposes than the wood now imported. The mahogany, too, is very fine and solid. One log ha 3 arrived twelve feet long and twenty-two by thirtytwo inches square, which is now being sawed up to be used in the manufacture of furnituie and walking-sticks for mementoes. The chief curiosity, however, is an ancient pulley block, four and a half feet high by three feet broad, with four solid copper sheaves, eighteen inches in diamef-er. It is of solid oak, and was probably used in hoisting heavy articles of merchandise and anchors. The wood is perfectly preserved ; but an iron band is completely corroded away, while the copper wheels are only slightly oxidized. The last reports from the engineer in charge of the work of raising the treasure gal'eons state that they have now excavated the mud from about the sides of the Almirante, a galleon carrying forty- four guns, and commanded nearly two centuries ago, as the ancient histoiies have it, by Admiral Manuel de Velasco. The machinery is now working well, and it is expected that by the Ist of February the Alroirante will be raised to the surface.

UND-OWING LEGISLATORS. In the new House of Commons there are seventy five members who own more than 3,000 acres of land with a rental value of more than £3 000 a year. Out of the above number there are two who own 100,000 acres, and three othei-3 more than 50,000 acres, and the possessions of seventeen of them exceed 10,000 acres. Aa regards the rentals, Sir John Ramsden is at the head of the list with dCISI,OOO per annum, and Sir John St. Aubyn comes next with £95,000. Four other rentals exceed £30,000 The rentals of twenty-eipht members ranee from £10,000 to £30,000 a year. This by no means exhausts the interest of the new House of Commons in the land, for the interest of peers' sons is extensive.

To Tip Public. -I, the undersigned, do this day make the following statement, in hopes that olliors who have sono tliroii£>h a similar nftlietion may profit thereby :— For iininy months have I been siok ; so bad tluit life was a bunion, me mental depression and physical prostration wore somoi lung that, cannot bo described. I >octors and patent medicines I have tried without any relief, but getting worse all the time. As a lorlprn hope 1 called on Dr. Spoor, Fnlmcrston Buildings, Queen-street. He examined me, and without asking a qucs'ion, quve mo every symptom I had. Said ho wouirVtreat mo. From the first teaspoonful of his medicine I felt relief, and have been constantly j^cttin? better over since. Words cannot express m3 r gratitude. Ahe abpvo statement 1 make without any solicitation, and I am willing to verify the same betore a J. P. —Respectfully yours, R. ADAMSOd 9nt^rlotto-atrcot, Edon Terrace.