Millions Under the Sea.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVI, Issue 43093, 16 May 1907, Page 3

Millions Under the Sea.

TREASURE SHIP’S VOYAGE TO

AFRICA,

There is a fascinating air of romance and adventure about the expedition to search for sunken treasure worth £60,000,000 off the coast of Africa.

According to Captain C. 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 modem 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 Wilmelmder Secunda. Priceless china, bullion, tin, lead, and silver, sunk in the Dutch galleon Middleburg, which was scuttled off Hoetje’s Bay, 192 years ago, to avoid capture. Valuable cargo lost in the Dutch Government’s armed merchantman Crazenstein, in 1698. Copper, tin, and silver of great value, which went down in the Aberdeen White Liner

boat Thermopylae. Captain Gardiner has served in the British and Chinese navies, and is an officer of the Royal Reserve. His attention was drawn to the records of the many wrecks that have occurred along the African coasts, and he spent several years in endeavouring to locate them.

He was rewarded by the discovery of twenty-nine wrecks which could be reached, and the result of his discoveries was the formation of the South African Salvage Company, Limited, with a capital of £25,000. 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 he twenty hands, including two divers, all ex-navy or naval reserve men. They will sign on for five years, and will be given a five per cent share of all treasure found.

“We are not going only to look for wrecks but we shall do salvage work permanently,” said the captain to an Express representative. ‘ ‘ There is at present 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 everyone concerned.