IS THERE GOLD IN VIGO BAY?

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 127, 26 June 1909, Page 3

IS THERE GOLD IN VIGO BAY?

There may be-as is assorted Hiv the treasure-hunting expedition now 'being organised-.620,000,000 worth of Void and silver at the bottom of Vi»o Bav.or tjierc may not. When old Admiral Kool;c cng,wd the >pa",ush galleons there in Quccn°Anne.'s j reign, (says a. Home paper), tliev certainly contained .much treasure; and some of tins went down- with them. "All COL]) BOUOTIT HY THE POUND 'How niiieli is problematical. In the hurry ,„,d f,„.y „f the. fight there was ittle chance to take stock of individual happenings, and it is a matter of coin"ion knowledge that our J iU -k Tars idpcd themselves to enormous' quantities of booty, the bulk of which never appeared in the ollieiul prize return--Indeed, when the fleet anchored at orbsinouth after the battle, the innkeepers there bought great stores of »"■ ffM by the pound at less than onehah its rea value, so c„ „,-,, Wils it , while doubloons were exchanged at three to the guinea, although the two coins were nearly equal as regards intrinsic worth. "

Hie Spanish sailors and soldiem. too. looted a lot of boll, coined and uncoined K»lil. Over t"2,0(10,U0() worth was landed at one time and seized by the Covernnieut; Imt, as in the case of our own countrymen, what was ltepf'bv the purloiaers was far in excess of that "Inch the authorities contrived to reRain possession of. The,,, ugnin, during the years immediately following (be great ..battle, scores of treasure-hunters, some authorised, many more mere piratical mlvi-i----tillers, hovered over the spot, and unless rumor lies most confoiindlv, manv of them reaped exceedingly 'rich re- | wards. Thin, one cnterpri's'rn" Scots.man, named Dickson, recovered enou-h silver to build a stately mansion 'in lerthslnre, which he christened "Dollar limine." I Hut it is worthy of note that be J secured not a single ounce of the move I precious metal, none of which he round- . lv asserted was to be found there, "cW. I should not .li.ic bin nk a fule as taceontint; mvsen' wi' siller.' 1 '! Altogether, HipJj. the prospects of the. • | new expedition .do noi appear to be ever rosy,