GOLD FROM THE SEA.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 128, 26 March 1901, Page 4

GOLD FROM THE SEA.

There is a persistent and circumstantial rumour in the ports of France and England o the effect that three Americans from Philadelphia have sought and found a portion, if not all, of the sunken treasure in Loch Dumandoff the Holland coast, which the Duke of Argyll and Lloyd’s are preparing to raise next summer.

A week ago, says the Daily Express, the boat returned to Boulogne and landed three men, one of whom remarked that they had been seeking treasures in tl 0 North Bea and had found them. They left town on the day of lauding, as did the John Silver. What treasure the craft sought is not certainly known, but there are Americans in London who are boasting that their compatriots beat the British in the race for gold.

The treasure ■'off the coast of Holland consists of £1,600,000 in bar gold sunk in His Majesty’s ship Lutine. The wreck was long ago located, and shown to be accessible by modern divers. As the treasure is within the three mile limit the Dutch Government claimed it as against Great Britain. Recently, however, Lloyd’s have been given permission by Holland to recover the treasure if possible. The £1,600,000 was a consignment of gold from England in aid of the Powers fighting Napoleon. The treasure in Loch Duan is older and perhaps greater. The Admiral of Florence, one of the Armada, sank there with a great burden of gold in water of no great depth. The location of the wreck is well known, and an Argyll 100 years ago had a diver go down to the mouldering heap. Crude as were his appliances, the diver had brought up several cannon, and there were hopes of getting at the treasure, when the Government gave notice that everything recovered would be the property of the Crown. The Argyll gave up the search rather than yield up the trove. Recently the Queen agreed to forego the rights of the Crown to the contents of the wreck, and the Duke of Argyll is preparing to make a thorough search for the precious metal and precious stones known to have been aboard tbe Admiral of Forence. But will Lloyd’s or the Duke of Argyll find emptiness dr gold, strong rooms rifled or replete ? Have the American’s forestalled them ?