Secrets of Vigo Bay. War of Admiral Rook, or the Birth of a Legend

Fearing for the fate of the treasures stolen during the war years, the Spaniards, after long hesitation, finally decided to transport them from America to Europe. In the summer of 1702, nineteen galleons were loaded with a large amount of gold, precious stones, silver, pearls, amber, indigo, vanillin, cocoa, ginger. In total - in the amount of thirteen million gold ducats. On June 11, a caravan of ships under the command of Manuel de Velasco left Vercarus. At sea, he met with a French squadron of twenty-three ships, which was entrusted with the protection of the Spanish galleons. Since the threat of an attack by the Anglo-Dutch fleet was real, the command of the squadron was entrusted to the then famous Admiral Chateau-Renaud, who, over many years of service, had repeatedly won victories over both the British and the Dutch.

The combined Franco-Spanish flotilla was to go to Cadiz. But since intelligence reported that this port was blocked by the English fleet, Château Reno headed to the north-west of Spain, to Vigo Bay.

After arriving there, the Spanish naval commander had every opportunity to unload the treasures on the shore, under the protection of the French troops, which at that time were in abundance in Spain. However, instead of this, the indecisive Manuel de Velasco began to wait for instructions from Madrid, where to go next. The fact is that, although the values belonged to Spain, they were intended primarily to pay for the military expenses of France.

The news that there were galleons in the bay of Vigo, carrying unheard-of wealth, spread all over the coast of Spain and reached the British. A month later, an order came from Madrid. But at the moment when Manuel de Velasco was unpacking a secret package in his cabin (by the way, the messenger delivered it on the night of October 21, but no one dared to wake the nobleman), an Anglo-Dutch squadron under the command of Admiral George Rook burst into Vigo Bay. For thirty hours the fierce boarding battles did not stop. The Spaniards managed to set fire to part of their ships so that they would not get to the enemy. The British lost their flagship and six hundred men, but along with the Dutch they captured and sank several French warships. Château Reno itself managed to break through the blockade and go to sea. While in the bay, which became the scene of a grandiose battle, twenty-four ships sank.

What is the fate of the treasures that were in the holds of the galleons during the battle? For almost three hundred years this question has remained unanswered.

According to one source, the British managed to seize five million pounds worth of jewelry - although even this is only part of the treasure. Other sources claim that all the valuable cargo went to the bottom of the bay along with the galleons. The French assume, and not without reason, that upon the arrival of the squadron in Vigo, Château Reno nevertheless unloaded valuables ashore and, under the protection of French troops, secretly sent them to his government. Otherwise, why did Louis XIV, after a naval battle, which cannot be called a victory for the admiral, promote him to marshal and even generously reward him?

True, skeptics believe that it was impossible to hide the fact of unloading such a huge amount of valuables.

Indeed, in July 1738, a French shipping expedition led by Alexander Hubert arrived in Vigo Bay. After careful measurements, the places where six sunken ships lay were determined. The choice fell on the galleon, which was at a depth of only six meters at low water. The ship was raised with slings, wooden pontoons, spiers and twenty-two thick hemp ropes. Finally, after two years of labor in February 1742, he was brought so close to the shore that at low tide the hold was dry. It was a Spanish galleon "Toho" with a displacement of about 1200 tons. But, apart from 600 tons of stone ballast, twelve cast-iron cannons, several hundred cannonballs and a dozen bags of rusty nails, nothing was found on it. As a result, having spent more than two million francs on the expedition, the French left Vigo Bay with nothing.

In 1748, the Spaniards themselves tried to find the precious cargo, but to no avail. Further, for almost eighty years, no diving work was carried out in the bay, although local residents from time to time made fleeting sorties there - they dived to the skeletons of sunken ships, trying to see something in the troubled water.

In 1825, the brig Enterprise entered the bay. On board was a diving bell of a new design, which not only made it possible to stay under water longer, but also, which is very important, gave the aquanaut a good view of the bottom. The captain of the brig, Dixon, had to work in it while on deck the armed Spaniards were impatiently waiting for their share of the booty. A few days later the brig disappeared from the bay as suddenly as it appeared. There were rumors that with the help of the bell, the British were able to raise a significant amount of gold, after which, having drunk the guards, they raised the sails and fled.

In the late 50s of the last century, the Spanish government sold the right to search for treasures to the French businessman David Langland, who ceded it, of course, not without benefit to himself, to the Parisian banker Sicard. Since the Parisian did not have enough money for the expedition, he, in turn, turned to the prosperous banker Hippolyte Magen for help. He carefully checked what Sicard told according to the old Spanish archives, and also conducted an additional investigation in Paris. Apparently the results were positive because he agreed to finance the expedition. However, during its organization, an unexpected obstacle arose in the person of Captain Gowan, a well-known diving specialist in England at that time. It turned out that resourceful Langland managed to sell the right to raise values to him as well. Moreover, Gowan has already managed to sell many shares of his company in London.

While the misunderstanding was settled, time passed. Finally, after a very lengthy preparation, Magen began to survey the sunken galleons. An old Spanish fisherman, who took part in the work of Captain Dixon's expedition, showed for a decent reward where five ships lay at the bottom. In order to obtain more accurate information and at the same time keep the secret, Magen ordered that the viewing glass of the helmet of the diver preparing for the descent be screwed up before the helmet of his comrade, who had climbed onto the deck, was removed. Thus, none of them could hear what the other divers were saying after the dive. It is not known whether this played any role, but ten ships were discovered in twelve days.

Soon, diving equipment began to arrive from France. It included an underwater electric lantern that weighed almost half a ton, and an underwater observation camera that could accommodate two people. The first find was an old cannon with a muzzle clogged with a cork, in which air was still preserved. The divers then recovered two hundred cannonballs, a copper vessel, a boarding axe, a dagger handle, a silver goblet, a pipe case, and a bag of Brazil nuts. All this lay among the remains of the galleon, which for some reason the locals called "Madera".

The beginning of the autumn storms forced the divers to stop work on this ship and go to the galleon "La Ligura", which sank in the depths of the bay. Here they were able to get to the ship's infirmary, where they found several copper basins and glass vessels. When the galleon's hull was blown up, a compass and an iron bowl were added to the number of finds. But, alas, there was no gold and silver. Magen's funds were running out, and the whole enterprise was in danger of collapse. It was decided to try their luck on the Tampor galleon. We had to hurry, so the work was carried out even at night, since the electric lantern gave a fairly bright light underwater.

And then, unexpectedly, the first silver ingot was found. And soon already gained 130 pounds. In high spirits, Magen left for Paris. He managed to sell additional shares and raise a decent amount of money. By the way, from Vigo Bay, he took with him a heavy dark bar to give it for research. Divers usually did not pick them up from the bottom, and on those rare occasions when they accidentally landed on the diving board deck, they threw them overboard. To the great amazement and no less joy of Magen, this plain-looking piece of metal turned out to be pure silver!

Meanwhile, the Franco-Prussian war was brewing in Europe. Paris, where the leader of the expedition was located, was surrounded by the Germans. In the last letter received from Spain, it was reported that almost all divers were ill, paralyzed, and only one could continue their descents. The fact is that no one thought about any decompression in those days. Therefore, despite the relatively shallow depth, decompression sickness brought down the divers. Yes, and Magei himself was bedridden,

Diving work resumed only two years later. The French discovered five more sunken ships. But there was still no trace of gold. And not all of them managed to collect silver bars. In November 1872, the search for treasure ceased. The expedition did not even have money left to take diving equipment out of Vigo Bay.

Later, the unlucky leader of the French rescue expedition, Hippolyte Magin, published in Paris the book Vigo Galleons, in which he told the story of the Spanish treasures in a fascinating way and gave his thoughts on their rise. His book aroused such great interest among underwater treasure seekers that the Spaniards, just in case, classified all historical materials related to this bay.

At the end of the 19th century, several more expeditions were organized. The American "Vigo Bay Treasure Company" took on the most serious business and lasted almost fifty years - a record period for such enterprises. That's just any values raised there, at least officially, on her account is not listed. True, once the Americans managed to bring the hoists under a well-preserved galleon, but when carrying it by crane to the shore, the ship broke and both halves sank again.

In 1904, the Spaniards Iberti and Pino followed in the footsteps of the Americans, who, on one of the two sunken ships, found several gold figurines and silver bars of eighty pounds each. Eventually, thirty years later, a joint-stock company was formed, which took a concession to carry out underwater work for eight years. Alas, they also brought nothing but disappointment.

It would seem that this series of failures will forever discourage underwater treasure hunters from wasting time and money on perhaps even non-existent treasures at the bottom of Vigo Bay. After all, twelve solid diving expeditions have been there! Among the ships that sank in 1702, it is perhaps impossible to find one that divers would not inspect or even try to raise. For almost three centuries of searching, Vigo Bay has become synonymous with unfulfilled hopes.

And yet, oddly enough, in November 1955, the English company Venture bought the right to conduct diving operations in Vigo from the Spanish government. The attention of the British was attracted by the galleon "San Pedro", which no one has yet been able to penetrate. According to some historical documents, it could be assumed that at the very beginning of the battle, the Spaniards tried to transport treasures to the shore on this ship. The galleon was shot by English ships and sank in a relatively shallow place, and local fishermen, so that the enemy would not get the gold, filled up the galleon with stone blocks. From time to time, the stones grew together, forming a strong shell that did not let treasure hunters in. Unfortunately, Venture, like its predecessors, pulled out a dummy. It was the last attempt to find one of the most famous and dubious underwater treasures.

Secrets of Vigo Bay

No book on treasure hunting or diving is complete without the story of the treasure hunt in Vigo Bay.

This story, shrouded in mystery and over time, overgrown with fantastic details, has turned into a legend that has been haunting the minds of not only ordinary people, but also venerable scientists for more than two and a half centuries. We will not break tradition.

This story began in 1701, when the French king Louis XIY declared war on the Spanish succession to Austria. Dissatisfied with the claims of the French, England and Holland sided with Austria. But for war, as you know, you need money. They could have come from the gold and silver mines of Peru, Mexico, and Chile, but they were far away, and the way to Europe was difficult and dangerous.

The risk of losing the wealth accumulated over several years was so great that it was only a year later that a decision was made to transfer them. On July 11, 1702, a caravan under the command of Manuel de Velasco, consisting of 19 Spanish galleons loaded with treasures, accompanied by 23 ships of the French squadron of Admiral Chateau Reno, left Vera Cruz and headed for Cadiz. However, information that the port was blocked by the English fleet forced them to change the route and move to the north-west of Spain in the bay of Via. Not daring to unload the treasure ashore under the protection of French troops, Manuel de Velasco requested an order for further action. The answer from Madrid came a month later. But it was already too late. On the night of October 21, an Anglo-Dutch squadron - about 100 ships - under the command of Admiral George Rook broke into the bay. Landed on the shore, a landing force with a total number of 4,000 people quickly took possession of the fortifications. For more than a day, the naval battle continued with fierce boarding battles. When everything calmed down, 24 Spanish and French ships rested at the bottom of Vigo Bay, taking with them the secret of one of the most mysterious underwater treasures.

Historical information about the fate of the treasures is very contradictory. According to some, the British managed to capture five million pounds worth of jewelry, others - only two hundred thousand. A number of archival documents testify that a significant part of them was nevertheless unloaded ashore, but materials have been preserved that convincingly prove that the entire cargo of the caravan rests at the bottom of the bay. However, there is no consensus on the number of sunken ships. Some historians believe that an epidemic of yellow fever broke out on the ships on the way from Vera Cruz, and the squadron was forced to split up and go to different ports. Others state that of the nineteen galleons, eleven were captured by the English and Dutch. The version that the precious cargo was unloaded on the shore of Chateau Reno and forwarded to the French government is also interesting. Supporters of this point of view, as an argument, cite evidence of the assignment to him immediately after these events of the rank of marshal and full admiral. The argument is quite weighty - after all, it was not for the same that he received an award from Louis XIV that he sank the convoy entrusted to him? The total value of the missing treasures is also unknown - no documents about the loading of valuables onto Spanish ships in Vera Cruz have been preserved. Yet the British value them at twenty-four million pounds, and the Americans at sixty million dollars.

One way or another, Vigo Bay has become a kind of Mecca for treasure hunting and a testing ground for testing underwater archaeological methods and diving search equipment.

The waters of the bay remember the first attempts of the Frenchman Alexander Hubert in 1738, which did not achieve the expected results, and the unsuccessful work of the Spaniards and the British. The latter, under the leadership of William Evans, nevertheless managed to raise a few silver bars, which dealt a crushing blow to the national pride of the Spaniards. They were so overwhelmed by his luck that they forbade the representatives of the nation that sank its galleons from looking for treasure.

“The Spaniards considered these relics of a century and a half ago with avid interest,” writes Magen in his book “The Galleons of Vigo” published in Paris in 1873. - Their fantasy did not know how to keep. Boxes of indigo were turned into silver vases, and pieces of cast iron into silver ingots.” Following the Madera, the galleons La Ligura, sunken in the depths of the bay, Tambor, and Almirante were examined, but more valuable finds than copper basins, various vessels, a ship's compass and indigo paint, have not been found. Magen is in a hurry, the expedition's funds are running out, and the whole enterprise is in danger of collapse. And now Fate, as if encouraging the banker, throws him the first ingot of silver, then the second, the third. Soon the weight of the silver raised was one hundred and thirty pounds. Magen perked up. He managed to quickly sell the shares and again, having collected the necessary amount, continue work.

At this time Deneruz returned to Paris. This time he agreed to take over the management of the work, but the Franco-Prussian war broke out. The threat of collapse again hung over the expedition like the sword of Damocles. The divers, who had not received salaries for their hard work for a month, went on strike. And Magen himself was bedridden. The Germans laid siege to Paris. Unable to act, Magen resigned as director.

After the unsuccessful search by the French at the end of the 19th century, several more attempts were made to take possession of the treasure. The largest of these were the work of the American Vigo Bay Treasure Company, which existed for almost fifty years. They managed to raise one well-preserved galleon to the surface, but when carried by a crane to the shore, the ship broke and again sank to the bottom of the bay.

In 1904, the treasures of Vigo attracted the attention of Giuseppe Pino, a talented inventor and engineer who made a significant contribution to the development of the world's ship-lifting and diving business.

His personality deserves special attention.

Giuseppe Pino was born in 1870 in Chiampo Arzignano, Italy. At the age of eighteen he moved to Milan, where he sold his first inventions in the field of electricity. With the proceeds, he begins work on the creation of an underwater ball for exploring the depths of the sea. A few years later, his idea is put into practice, but the young designer fails. Residents of the village of Vadu, located between Savona and Genoa, where Pino is conducting his tests, frightened by the "monster", flood it. Hardly survived the misfortune, Giuseppe continues to work on new inventions and gradually gains authority and influential patrons. They help him establish a company whose activities are aimed at improving diving technology.

In 1903, near Genoa, a new brainchild of Pino, a hydroscope, was tested, which interested the Italian Naval Ministry. His apparatus was a steel shaft, consisting of several hollow cylinders, retractable, like a spotting scope, depending on the depth of immersion. The lower part of the shaft ended with a chamber with 12 optical glasses - portholes, located circularly over the entire surface, and the upper part - with a steel platform. To make the structure more buoyant, the site rested on a cork platform and was fixed at the side of the research vessel. The bottom survey was carried out by an observer sitting in an observation chamber or from a platform where up to 20 people could stand standing. In this case, the image was transmitted to a special screen using a complex system of mirrors.

For "field" tests of the apparatus, Pino chooses Vigo Bay. He has long been attracted to these places. Having familiarized himself with archival materials on the sunken ships, Pino concludes an agreement with the Spanish government to carry out diving operations. According to this document, Spain is entitled to 20% of "all wealth, no matter what is produced."

At the end of 1904, all the equipment is delivered to the search area, and Pino, full of hope, gets down to business.

In addition to the hydroscope, another invention of Giuseppe is used in the work - an elevator for lifting sunken objects from the bottom. It consists of two quadrangular frames to which two-layer elastic bags made of rubber and tarpaulin are attached. The lower frame is equipped with a strong magnet, which, according to the author's intention, was supposed to attract iron objects, and devices for fixing the discovered finds. Air was pumped into the bags by a pump, and they rushed up, dragging a load tied to the lower frame. This prototype of a modern pontoon was supposed to lift objects weighing up to 30 tons. The inventor's calculations came true. During the work, it was possible to extract several cast-iron cannons, four steam boilers from an English ship of the late 19th century, one of which weighed 70 tons, gold figurines and several silver ingots. However, the fabulous treasures were never found.

The failures of all expeditions have not discouraged underwater treasure hunters. The mystery of Vigo Bay, like a magnet, attracts more and more new volunteers. Again and again, search groups are being equipped, archives are being searched, firms are again failing and people's lives are being crippled.

More than 15 attempts to find the legendary Spanish treasures have brought no luck to anyone.

Cannons raised from the bottom of Vigo Bay

"Forty billion" at the bottom of Vigo Bay

The year was 1702. The War of the Spanish Succession, which began after the death of Charles II, the last king of the Spanish Habsburg dynasty, lasted for two years. The French king Louis XIV did not fail to take advantage of this circumstance by nominating his grandson Philip of Anjou as a candidate for the Spanish throne. However, his claims have complicated the already tense international situation. Around the Spanish throne, the interests of two powerful groups clashed: England and Holland stood on one side, and France and Spain on the other. The war has begun.

To maintain the armies that fought throughout Europe, there was an inexhaustible source of funds - the silver and gold of the New World. The main difficulty was only that it was located far away. However, every year the Golden Fleet set out across the ocean, collecting an annual tribute from the American colonies. English pirates raged at sea, and galleons loaded with precious metal had to cross the Atlantic under heavy guard of warships.

In December 1701, the French government commissioned Admiral François Louis Roussel de Chateau Renaud to escort 19 galleons of Admiral Manuel de Velasco to Spain. They had to deliver to Europe an absolutely fantastic amount of gold and silver: a three-year fruit of the work of Peruvian and Mexican mines, as well as a less valuable cargo in the form of indigo, cochineal, wood, spices, leather, tobacco, etc. Château Reno took command of 23 warships. Both squadrons joined in the port of Havana in August 1702 and, without wasting a minute, weighed anchor.

Already on the way, it became known that the Spanish port of Cadiz was blocked by the British. Chateau Reno and Velasco had to urgently change course and go to the northern coast of Spain. September 22, they entered the Gulf of Vigo - the southern part of the Galician Bay. This bay, stretching for 1500 m in length and 500 m in width, narrows, passes into the Rande Strait, and then, expanding again, forms the bay of San Simon, located opposite the small town of Redondela. San Simon Bay, protected by two small forts built high on rocky cliffs, can serve as a safe haven, but in the event of a direct attack, it easily turns into a real trap for the fleet. However, Chateau Reno and Velasco had no choice. The period of autumn storms was beginning, and by all means they needed a calm harbor.

Common sense dictated that it was necessary to quickly unload the ships and take the treasure away from the coast. But this was opposed by the bankers from Cadiz, who owned most of the cargo, and in addition, friction began between the French and the Spaniards. Château Reno insisted that the united squadron put to sea and set a course for Brest; but the Spaniards categorically refused this proposal. They are easy to understand: there were 3,400 tons of gold on board the galleons, and, having entrusted the French with the protection of such a myriad of precious metal, the Spaniards had to keep their eyes open. Of course, France is an ally, her loyalty is beyond doubt. But the temptation is too great, and when it comes to big money, the word "honesty" often turns into an empty phrase ... In a word, many days passed before Admiral Velasco finally managed to make a firm decision and start unloading the galleons. Meanwhile, events were taking place around Vigo that no one in Vigo knew anything about.

Admiral George Rooke, who commanded the Anglo-Dutch naval forces, suffered a crushing defeat near Cadiz. Nevertheless, the British Admiralty ordered Rook to continue the fight. By pure chance, the admiral learned that a Franco-Spanish fleet arrived from America in Vigo Bay. Rook headed for Vigo.

In the early morning of October 22, 1702, an armada of 150 ships approached the shores of Galicia. Four thousand English and Dutch soldiers under the command of the Duke of Ormonde landed on land. The next day, the assault began on the forts protecting the approaches to the bay. The battle lasted almost three hours, at the end of which the defenders of the forts had to surrender. This operation allowed Rook's ships to come close to the narrow mouth of the Randé, through which ran the defensive line held by the French. Cannonballs flew from both sides, raising clouds of smoke and fire. However, the forces were too unequal. Seventeen French ships went down, and the remaining six were boarded. Now there were no barriers between the Anglo-Dutch armada and the galleons loaded with gold. With a favorable westerly wind to go the remaining two miles - what a trifle!

Alas, the joy of the British soon gave way to amazement, and after that impotent rage: the Spanish ships, one after another, began to ... go under water! It was Admiral Velasco, seeing the defeat of the French, who ordered the ships to be sunk so that the enemy would not get the gold. Gold and silver - about 3000 tons - remained to lie at the bottom of Vigo Bay ...

Much later, it was established that the British captured a cargo of silver worth 14,000 pounds sterling on Spanish ships (in legends, this amount increased to five million), and the main part of the treasure - about 3 million pounds - was safely unloaded and sent deep into Spain on the eve of the battle. . However, already in the first days after the death of the Spanish fleet, a legend was born that the main treasures went to the bottom along with the ships of Admiral Velasco. Many years later, heartbreaking details even appeared: supposedly Galician fishermen, seized with patriotism, threw huge stones at sinking ships with precious cargo so that the enemies could not raise treasures belonging to the working people of Spain from the bottom of the sea ...

The legend about the treasures of Vigo Bay was undoubtedly born in the very first hours after the battle, and perhaps even before it: the English and Dutch sailors went into battle in full confidence that they would have to board the galleons that had come from the New World, whose holds chock-full of gold and silver. The fleet of Admiral Velasco really delivered a cargo of gold and silver to the coast of Spain, but only whether this cargo was on board the Spanish ships by September 23, 1702 - that's the question ...

The first attempts to find the treasures of Vigo Bay were made in July 1738. The French expedition led by Alexander Hubert managed to raise the Toho galleon with a displacement of 1200 tons from the bottom of the bay, but its holds were empty. All fourteen expeditions that visited Vigo Bay in the 18th-20th centuries ended in failure. And although the legend of “forty billion dollars at the bottom of Vigo Bay” continues to pop up here and there from time to time, authoritative experts are sure that these “forty billion” should be considered one of the most dubious underwater treasures. It is easier to assume that the legendary captain Nemo and his friends raised the gold from the bottom of Vigo Bay - as Jules Verne wrote about in his famous novel ...

One of the most mysterious stories with Spanish treasures transported from the New World is connected with Vigo Bay, located on the northwestern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. Another famous science fiction writer Jules Verne in the novel "20 Thousand Leagues on the Water" wrote that the treasures of the Spanish galleons resting at the bottom of Vigo Bay were an inexhaustible source of wealth for Captain Nemo. However, for several centuries, scientists and treasure hunters around the world have been arguing where exactly these legendary treasures are located.

Early 18th century became a serious test for the Spanish monarchy Using the absence of legitimate heirs from the Spanish king Charles II, the French king Louis XIV laid claim to the Spanish throne, nominating his grandson Philip V as a pretender. This immediately caused a negative reaction in England and Austria and became the beginning of one of the most protracted wars of the XVIII century - Wars of the Spanish Succession.

Full-scale hostilities, which unfolded both in Europe and in the vast expanses of Spanish colonial possessions, required huge funds, and the gold and silver mines in America remained the only reliable source of their income. Since the Spanish fleet alone could not ensure the safety of transporting valuable cargo across the Atlantic, French naval commanders came to the rescue.

In December 1701, the French admiral, squadron commander Count Chateau-Renaud was instructed to lead the Spanish Silver Fleet across the ocean under the command of Don Manuel Velasco.

In January 1702, the French squadron, leaving Brest, anchored off the coast of the island of Martinique, and then headed for Havana. Only in August, the two fleets joined and immediately headed towards the metropolis, where they eagerly awaited the arrival of a precious cargo.

When approaching the European shores, Chateau Reno received news that Cadiz was blocked by the Anglo-Dutch squadron of Sir George Rook, which was several times superior to the Franco-Spanish forces. Vigo remained the only free Spanish port, since Velasco categorically refused to lead the fleet to France, where the fate of the treasure seemed illusory to him. The fact that the Silver Fleet entered Vigo Bay was immediately reported to Admiral Rook, who decided to capture the valuables before they were unloaded and delivered to Seville.

Vigo Bay has a long entrance from the sea, stretching about eight miles to the northeast, gradually narrowing to a distance between the banks not exceeding 600 yards - this place is called Rande. Then the passage widens like a lake, rather shallow. The city of Vigo, which was a simple fishing village in 1702, is located on the south shore of the bay, and the city of Rodondela is on the southeast side of the bay.

Château Reno brought his ships and their convoy through the Randé, and in the narrowest part of the strait, forts and batteries were built, armed on the south side with 38, and on the north -17 guns. To make it difficult for the enemy to enter the bay, a boom was built from spare masts and spars fastened with ropes, connecting the two forts. Far beyond the crescent moon was the French fleet protecting the galleons.

The Ruka fleet on October 10 (22) began the assault on Vigo. While passing the strait, he was met by fire from the forts of Vigo, but without heavy losses, and anchored above the city in order to conduct reconnaissance and develop a plan of action. It was decided to first land enough ground troops to take possession of the batteries on the south side, and then break through the boom and, entering the inner bay, attack the French.

The next day, about 11 o'clock in the morning, the Duke of Ormonde landed 2 or 3 thousand men on a sandy shore two leagues from Vito and proceeded to the battery and fort located on the right side near Rodondela. Despite the numerical superiority of the Spaniards, the British took possession of a battery of 38 guns, and the Anglo-Dutch fleet, raising sails, rushed into the bay. Admiral Hopson, on his flagship Mary, at the head of the vanguard, broke through the boom. At the same time, the Association, under the command of Captain Bookman, boarded opposite the battery on the other side of the strait and began to shoot it from all guns.

Seeing the hopelessness of the situation, the Spaniards began to burn the galleons so that they would not go to the enemy. Flames lit up the waters of the bay. The sailors in a panic abandoned their ships and swam to the shore. Only a few ships in the bay were not engulfed in flames. They went to the British as trophies. About 200 French and Spaniards were taken prisoner, including a French vice admiral with several captains and a lieutenant general of the Spanish fleet.

During the battle, a French fireship fell on Admiral Hopson's ship, and the ship would probably have burned down, but the fireship suddenly flew into the air. The flagship received a lot of damage, and more than 10 people died. The losses of other ships were insignificant. On the shore, 2 officers were killed and 4 wounded, among the lower ranks there were 40 killed and the same number of wounded.

The British pursued the retreating enemy by land all day. The view of the bay after the battle was simply terrible: burning wrecks of ships, a lot of wreckage and the ruins of fortifications on the shore.

The biggest difficulty is the number of dead and captured ships. The English historian and admiral Philip Colomb wrote in his book Naval Warfare that all French and Spanish ships were either burned or sunk. Six French ships and 5 galleons were taken, 8 French ships were burned and 4 sunk, 4 galleons were captured.

According to Admiral Rooke's report, the Franco-Spanish fleet suffered the following losses:

Battleships:

"Le Fort", 76 guns, burned down.

"Le Prompt", 76 guns, captured aground.

Le Assur, 66 guns, captured and sent to England as a prize

Le Esperance, 70 guns, captured, but washed ashore and burned.

"Le Bourbon", 68 guns, captured, was sent to Holland as a prize.

"Aa Seren", 60 guns, captured, but washed ashore and burned.

Le Solid, 56 guns, burned.

Le Fermet, 72 guns, captured in a boarding action, was sent to England as a prize

Le Prudent, 62 guns, burned.

Le Oriflamme, 64 guns, burned.

"Le Moder", 56 guns, boarded and sent to England as a prize

Le Superb, 70 guns, captured, but washed ashore and burned.

"Le Dauphine", 46 guns, burned down.

Le Volontir, 46 guns, captured but washed ashore.

Le Triton, 42 guns, captured in a boarding action, sent to England as a prize

Le Entreprement, 22 guns, burned.

"Le Chequita", 8 guns, burned.

Le Favory, burned.

3 corvettes, burned.

Of the 17 Spanish galleons, 4 were boarded, 2 were captured by the British, 5 were captured by the Dutch, the remaining six sank.

From the prisoners it became known that the royal share of silver, amounting to about 3 million pounds in the prices of those years, was unloaded ashore from the galleons and sent inland. There were only 40 small chests of cochineal on the shore.

On October 24, English divers examined the wreckage of sunken ships and were able to get some valuables, but after shelling by local residents, they were forced to curtail all work.

In the hands of the winners fell 20 million pesos and a huge amount of goods of a similar value, which did not have time to unload before that. 4 million in silver was lost along with sunken ships, as well as 10 million worth of goods. Two million pesos in silver, as well as goods worth five million pesos, were subsequently recovered from the bottom.

Admiral Showwell was left by Sir George Rook in Vigo to repair the captured ships and destroy everything that could not be taken. All this was done according to the instructions.

When the fleet was leaving for England, a storm broke out, and one of the galleons, running into a rock, sank. The rest of the ships, including the captured prizes, reached England safely, albeit badly battered.

Thus, as a result of a successful naval operation, the Anglo-Dutch fleet managed not only to utterly defeat the Franco-Spanish fleet, having received very valuable prizes in their hands, but also to inflict a significant financial blow on Spain. Most of the treasure transported by the fleet fell into the hands of the British, with the exception of the royal share sent to Seville before the battle. As a result, it turns out that a significant part of the sunken treasures simply does not exist. However, rumors that galleons with millions of pesos lie at the bottom of the bay did their job. It was these legendary millions that became the object of hunting for underwater treasure hunters over the following centuries.

In July 1738, a French shipping expedition led by Alexander Hubert arrived in Vigo Bay. After careful measurements, the places where six sunken ships lay were determined. The choice fell on the galleon, which was at a depth of only six meters at low tide. The ship was raised with the help of lines, wooden pontoons, spiers and twenty-two thick hemp ropes. Finally, after two years of labor, in February 1742, he was brought so close to the shore that at low tide the hold turned out to be dry. It was a Spanish galleon "Toho" with a displacement of about 1200 tons. But, apart from 600 tons of stone ballast, twelve cast-iron cannons, several hundred cannonballs and a dozen bags of rusty nails, nothing was found on it. As a result, having spent more than two million francs on the expedition, the French left Vigo Bay with nothing.

After them, the British appeared there. One of them, William Evans, was lucky enough to pick up silver bars valued at several hundred pounds. The amount, of course, was insignificant. The main thing was that his findings inspired hope. Perhaps he would have been able to discover other values, but Spain unexpectedly forbade representatives of the nation that sank Spanish ships to look for treasures in its territorial waters. Most likely, the Spaniards simply feared that in the end huge treasures would float away from their hands, and the descendants of those people who had already once tried to take them into their own hands would use them.

In 1748, the Portuguese Antonio Rivera managed to raise, it is believed, about two hundred thousand gold coins, which was a real record for subsequent treasure hunters in Vigo Bay. Further, for almost eighty years, no diving work was carried out in the bay, although local residents from time to time made fleeting sorties there - they dived to the skeletons of sunken ships, trying to find something in the troubled water.

In 1825, the brig Enterprise entered the bay. On board was a new design diving bell, which not only made it possible to stay under water longer, but, very importantly, gave the aquanaut a good view of the bottom. The captain of the brig, Dixon, had to work in it, while on deck the armed Spaniards were impatiently waiting for their share mining. A few days later the brig disappeared from the bay as suddenly as it appeared. There were rumors that with the help of the bell, the British were able to raise a significant amount of gold, after which, having drunk the guards, they raised the sails and fled.

In the late 50s of the XIX century, the Spanish government sold the right to search for treasures to the French businessman David Langland, who ceded it, of course not without benefit to himself, to the Parisian banker Sicard. Since the Parisian did not have enough money for the expedition, he, in turn, turned to the prosperous banker Hippolyte Magen for help. He carefully checked what Sicard told, according to the old Spanish archives, and also conducted an additional investigation in Paris. Apparently the results were positive because he agreed to finance the expedition. However, during its organization, an unexpected obstacle arose in the person of Captain Gowan, a well-known diving specialist in England at that time. It turned out that resourceful Langland managed to sell the right to raise values to him as well. Moreover, Gowan has already managed to sell many shares of his company in London.

The beginning of the autumn storms forced the divers to stop work on this ship and go to the galleon "La Ligura", which sank in the depths of the bay. Here they were able to get to the ship's infirmary, where they found several copper basins and glass vessels. When the ship's hull was blown up, a compass and an iron bowl were added to the number of finds. But, alas, there was no gold and silver. Magen's funds were running out, and the whole enterprise was in danger of collapse. It was decided to try their luck on the Tampor galleon. We had to hurry, so the work was carried out even at night, since the electric lantern gave a fairly bright light underwater.

And then, unexpectedly, the first silver ingot was found. And soon there were 130 pounds of silver. In high spirits, Magen left for Paris. He managed to sell additional shares and raise a decent amount of money. From the bay of Vigo, he took with him a heavy dark bar to give it for research. Divers usually did not pick them up from the bottom, and on those rare occasions when they accidentally landed on the diving board deck, they threw them overboard. To Magen's great astonishment and no less delight, this plain-looking piece of metal turned out to be pure silver.

Diving work resumed only two years later. The French discovered five more sunken ships, but there was still no trace of gold. And not all of them managed to collect silver bars. In November 1872, the search for treasure ceased. The expedition did not even have money left to take diving equipment out of Vito Bay.

Later, the unlucky leader of the French rescue expedition, Hippolyte Magen, published in Paris the book “Galeons of Vigo”, in which he told the story of Spanish treasures in a fascinating way and gave his thoughts on their rise. His book aroused such great interest among underwater treasure hunters that the Spaniards, just in case classified all historical materials related to this bay.

At the end of the 19th century, several more expeditions were organized. The American Vigo Bay Treasure Company, which lasted almost fifty years, a record time for such enterprises, took up the business most seriously. That's just any values raised there, at least officially, on her account is not listed. True, once the Americans managed to bring the hoists under a well-preserved galleon, but when carrying it by crane to the shore, the ship broke and both halves sank again.

In 1904, the treasures of Vigo attracted the attention of a very talented engineer, Giuseppe Pino, who made a significant contribution to the development of diving. This Italian, born in 1870, began to work on the creation of a new generation of apparatus for exploring the depths of the sea.

In 1903, Pino tested his invention, the gyroscope, in Genoa. His apparatus was a steel shaft, consisting of several hollow cylinders, retractable, like a telescopic tube, depending on the depth of immersion. The lower part of the chamber ended with a chamber with 12 portholes arranged in a circle, and on top there was an observation deck. To make the structure buoyant, the platform rested on a cork platform and was fixed at the side of the research vessel. The bottom was surveyed by an observer sitting in an observation chamber or from a platform that could accommodate up to 20 people. In this case, the image was transmitted to a special screen using a complex system of mirrors.

Having received influential patrons, Pino was able to create his own company, which chose the same Vito Bay as the arena for testing the new apparatus. He signed a contract for diving work, according to which Spain would receive 20% of the treasures found.

At the end of 1904, all equipment was transferred to the work area, and work began. With the help of a specially made underwater elevator, several cast-iron cannons, four steam boilers from an English ship of the late 19th century, one of which weighed 70 tons, several gold figurines and silver ingots, were lifted from the bottom. However, most of the treasures were never discovered.

From 1945 to 1962, the French treasure hunter Florent Ramozher was looking for treasures in Vigo. The object of his interest was the vicinity of the island of Cies. It is precisely established that it was there that on October 24 one of the galleons captured by the British sank. The depth at the search site was only 35-40 meters, but the remains of the ship turned out to be deep in the silt and almost inaccessible.

It would seem that this series of failures will forever discourage underwater treasure hunters from wasting time and money on perhaps even non-existent treasures at the bottom of Vigo Bay. After all, twelve solid diving expeditions have been there! Among the ships sunk in 1702, it is perhaps impossible to find one that divers would not inspect or even try to raise. For almost three centuries of searching, Vigo Bay has become synonymous with unfulfilled hopes.

And yet, oddly enough, in November 1955, the English company Venture bought the right to conduct diving operations in Vigo from the Spanish government. The attention of the British was attracted by "San Pedro", which no one has yet been able to penetrate. According to some historical documents, it could be assumed that at the very beginning of the battle, the Spaniards tried to transport treasures to the shore on this ship. The galleon was shot by English ships and sank in a relatively shallow place, and local fishermen, so that the gold would not go to the enemy, filled it up with boulders. From time to time, the stones grew together, forming a strong shell that did not let treasure hunters in.

Unfortunately, Venture, like its predecessors, failed. It was not possible to raise anything of value from the bottom.

The attempt of the "Atlantic Rescue Expedition" led by John Potter, who gathered the best underwater explorers, also ended in failure. During the 1956-1960s, diving work was carried out, but no positive results were achieved.

For three centuries, many expeditions have visited Vigo Bay. They all failed. Despite the fact that almost all the sunken Spanish ships were examined and turned out to be completely empty, the legend of the sunken treasure still haunts the minds of treasure hunters, although the Spanish archives contain information that at least some of the valuables delivered to Vigo were unloaded from the galleons and sent to Seville.

"Nuestra Señora del Rosario and Santiago Apostal"

From the end of the 17th century, Pensacola in Florida became the arena of struggle between the great powers - France, England and Spain. Any territory captured by France or England along the Gulf of Mexico posed a threat to the power of Spain in Mexico, since it was here that the route from Veracruz to Havana passed. From their coastal strongholds, the British and French could threaten the Spanish silver galleon transportation system from the Mexican mines. It was this route that made it possible to use tailwinds and currents to the greatest extent.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the struggle for the northern coast of the bay intensified. The urgent need of the Spanish fleet for supply bases and timber spurred the authorities to develop these lands. The Spaniards experienced the greatest need for a good ship timber, and above all for masts. There Are Too Few Places in the Caribbean to Find Good Ship Timber Carlos de Sizuenza discovered excellent ship pines on the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, and thus, in addition to the long-standing desire to drive the British and French out of these lands, another goal was added - to take possession of the forests .

"Nuestra Senora del Rosario and Santiago Apostal" became one of those ships that was destined to write tragic pages in the development of this region of America.

The earliest mention of this vessel dates back to January 15, 1696. In a letter to King Andrea, de Pez reported that shipbuilders from the port of Rio de Janeiro de Alvorado (located north of Veracruz) built the "Nuestra Senora del Rosario and Santiago Apostal" for the Armada del Barlovento (the Windward Islands Fleet, which protected the interests of the crown in the Caribbean) . It was a frigate with a displacement of 450 tons, armed with 44 guns. Massive dimensions made it possible to attribute it to the Goberno class, the third largest vessel in the Spanish fleet of the Gulf of Mexico.

In the years 1696-1700, the Rosario made regular voyages in the Caribbean, delivering the necessary goods to various Spanish ports. During this time, the ship participated in numerous pirate chases and the capture of several English and French merchant ships. A long stay in tropical latitudes could not but affect the condition of the Nuestra Senora's hull. It was badly dilapidated and needed a major overhaul. However, the Spanish authorities did not have the opportunity to carry it out at the proper level.

In 1700, the death of the last Spanish king from the Habsburg dynasty, Charles II, caused the outbreak of the War of the Spanish Succession. Its beginning found the Windward Fleet in Cartagena. In March 1703, the fleet consisted of only three ships, which with difficulty returned to Veracruz. "Rosario" was the almirante of the fleet, and "Santisima Trinidad and Nuesgra Señora de Atocha" was the captain. Both ships were sent from Veracruz to Campeche, where they were to be altered and repaired. Despite the fact that new ships were laid down as early as 1698, they were not ready, and the old ships still had to bear the whole burden of protecting communications.

During 1703 the "Nuesgra Señora del Rosario e Santiago Aposgal" was restored. On March 21, 1704, the Rosario left Veracruz and headed for Havana, where on July 1 she joined with a new captain, the Nuesgra Señora de Guadalupe and San Antonio, under the command of Admiral de Peza. After a short stopover in Venezuela and Puerto Rico, the frigate arrived in Havana before returning to Veracruz in August. As for the condition of the Rosario, it appears to have been quite poor, as the entire Windward Fleet was in a much more deplorable state. Pez was in dire need of the next repair of his ships, but the lack of rigging, timber, tools and everything that was necessary for the repair forced him to repair only the captain. It was this that subsequently, probably, became the cause of the death of the Rosario. A year later, according to contemporaries, the ship was rotten to the ground and barely kept afloat.

From August 1704, Pensacola filled with refugees from the Appalachians. Food rations per person were reduced to half a pound of bread a day. Stocks would be enough until February, but the newly arrived people quickly absorbed them. A devastating fire that broke out on November 23, 1704 destroyed much of the supplies, reducing the residents' diet to just a few biscuits a day. Requests for help did not reach the viceroy until 26 January 1705. By this time, the situation was so disastrous that the Spaniards were forced to seek help from the French, who settled in Mobile Bay.

The treasurer of the fleet, Juan Mendo de Urbina, calculated that for the maintenance of a population of 300 people (150 soldiers, 20 artillerymen, 50 laborers and 80 artisans) for six months, it is necessary: 405 quintals of biscuits, 130 kargas of wheat flour, 144 quintals of salted pork, 106 quintals rice and beans, 19 quintals and 50 pounds of cheese, as well as dried fruits, oil, vinegar, liquor, wine, medicines, wax, and other goods. These goods were loaded onto the brigantine of the Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, San Jose and Las Animas. She sailed from Campeche on February 8, 1705, probably under escort, to deliver the first batch of provisions. The ship was expected to arrive at its destination in March.

On March 5, the French Precius ketch arrived in Veracruz with news of a fire and flood in Santa Maria de Galve. Both Santa Maria and San Augustine were in dire need, and the viceroy made every effort to send three ships there, but only one was ready - the Nuestra Señora del Rosario. San Crisgo de Maracaibo, Nuestra Señora del Rosario and San José and Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu were officially prepared. Admiral Angonio de Landeje commanded the Rosario, Miguel Perez de Aranguibel commanded the Santo Crisgo and José de Rada commanded the Arazazu.

On board all three ships there was food: flour, corned beef, lard, butter, cheese, alcohol, wine, rice and beans, as well as various goods: cloth, gunpowder, bullets, cannonballs and guns for the garrison. The Rosario was also sent 500 pesos to buy corn in Mobile, and various items such as candles, iron, medicines, and firewood.

A convoy of three ships left Veracruz at the end of May 1705 and arrived in Pensacola on June 1. Antonio de Landeje unloaded the troops from the ships, sent carpenters into the forest, distributed the delayed salaries, and drew up new lists of settlers. A small number of local Indian lumberjacks joined the Spanish to load approximately 100 tree trunks that had been ordered a year earlier by Governor Andrés de Ariola. Under the command of Augustine Antonio, chief carpenter on the ships of the Windward Fleet, the men transported timber for loading to Santa Rosa Island.

Not everything went so smoothly for Antonio de Landeje in Pensacola. Within a few days, a small storm washed ashore one of the frigates. Only after three days of hard work, the crews of the ships were able to remove the ship from the sandbar.

On June 20, Landehe convened a council of officers, at which it was decided that the squadron would go to San José Bay. The small Spanish fleet left Pensacola on June 22. A week later, on June 29, Rosario, accompanied by frigates and two brigantines, sailed back to Havana, where she stood in San Jose Bay, preparing to sail to San Marcos de Appalachia. Landeje transferred to two brigantines weapons, ammunition and provisions necessary to supply the troops. A day later on June 30, the captain and commander of the fort in San José Bay, Pedro de Bilboa, met on board the felucca stationed in the bay to discuss further actions. Feluca and the Rosario immediately set off for Fort San Marcos de Appalachia. On 2 July the Rosario and the two brigantines met, arriving at San Marco on 6 July. There Landehe met Bilboa.

The Spanish officers prepared their troops for the 24-mile march to San Luis de Talimali. Departing from San Marcos, on July 8, the Spaniards arrived in San Luis two days later on July 10, but found the settlement empty. All fortifications were destroyed, only part of the palisade remained intact. The rains were constantly pouring over the Spanish detachment, while the scouts explored the surrounding countryside. They found traces, but the settlers themselves could not be found. Landehe held a meeting in which it became clear that the maintenance of a detachment of 500 soldiers was required to maintain Spanish power in this area. Since Landehe could not leave such a number of soldiers, the meeting came to the conclusion that this enterprise was useless. Landeje, Bilboa and the detachment returned to San Marco by the same route, from which they sailed on July 13 back to San José Bay, where they arrived on July 19. On July 20, the Rosario sailed for Havana, probably appearing there on August 2. The ship stayed there for 12 days.

On August 14, the Rosario sailed for Havana with two frigates bound for San Augustin and two bilanders bound for the Canary Islands. Landehe escorted them to the entrance to the Bahama Canal. After that, the Rosario returned to Havana and, after a two-week wait, arrived in Pensacola. The frigate appeared here on September 2, the day before the devastating hurricane that will decide the fate of this ship

On September 2, 1705, Antonio de Landeje brought the Rosario to Pensacola Bay. Juan Lopez, the owner of the felucca assigned to the port, sent Augustine Antonio ashore to search for suitable ship timber in the forests to build a new mast for the Rosario. He relayed a message to Landeha to select a suitable position for loading tree trunks, and the admiral prepared the ship for this operation. Five anchors were thrown into the water to stabilize the ship before loading.

The admiral sent a small detachment from the Rosario to fetch grain from the nearest French settlement on Dauphine Island to replenish the settlers' supplies. In addition, he sent part of the soldiers to the settlement on Santa Rosa Island to unload the necessary equipment delivered by frigate. Perhaps Landehe knew about the impending storm and therefore took such measures to quickly load the forest. However, the storm hit before the end of loading.

For two days, waves and wind smashed the Rosario. On September 4, the hurricane turned to the northeast, reaching its maximum strength and breaking several anchors. The ship was barely supported by the two remaining anchors. Spanish sailors desperately tried to save the ship, but it received several holes. To lighten the ship, the foremast and mainmast were cut down. It helped for a while.

On September 5, the Rosario's last anchor broke, and the ship was thrown onto the western tip of Santa Rosa Island. The body, rotten through and through, made itself felt. The waves easily broke the hull of the frigate. In a few moments, it broke into several pieces.

A small felucca, assigned to the port, remained afloat much longer than the Rosario. Her captain, Juan Lopez, sought protection by anchoring under the protection of the island. Feluca held out until September 6, however, while she lost the mast, 15 oars, new sails and everything that was on the deck. Only the hull turned out to be intact, but after the repair, the feluca could continue its voyages.

Some people were saved in the most unusual places. Juan de Sendoya, a soldier from the crew of the frigate, cut trees with Joseph Vargues. They waited out the hurricane in a small, hastily built wooden house on Santa Rosa Island. And, despite the fact that the hurricane tore the roof off their small shelter, they were able to survive.

The crew of the Rosario was able to salvage many valuable items from their ship. First of all, this was helped by the fact that one of the boats sent to Mobile on the eve of the storm survived. In addition, sails, ropes, weapons, bullets, cannonballs and many other things were saved. The sailors raised the ship's bell from the bottom, which they handed over to Juan Antonio de Hessian, treasurer of Santa Maria de Galva, for use in the settlement. However, the fact that the frigate sank in an area where sand was constantly moving, and the hull of the frigate rotted and crumbled, did not allow the Spaniards to save anything else from the property. The only thing that could be salvaged from the holds was the stocks of biscuits and pork. The gunpowder was lost, as were the guns, so necessary for protection against possible attacks by the British.

On November 6, 1705, two months after the sinking of the Rosario, Viceroy Francisco Fernández de la Cueva Henriquez of Peru, Duke of Albuquerque, launched an investigation into the actions of Admiral Antonio de Landeje. Windward Fleet General Andrée de Piz and Pensacola Governor José de Guzmán interviewed more than two dozen survivors—pilot, sailors, and soldiers—who had first-hand knowledge of the events at the time of the crash. Although no charges were brought against Landekha, he did not escape punishment.

The owner of the Santo Cristo de Maracaibo, a frigate escorted by the Rosario from Veracruz to the Bahamas through Pensacola, Appalachia and Havana, and which sank after unloading cargo on the Atlantic side in San Augustine, accused the admiral of the loss of his ship. The owner of the Santo Cristo claimed that the sinking of his ship was due to delays caused by Landeje. As a result, his ship moved along the Florida coast at the most dangerous time of the year. If he had timed the stops differently, his ship could have safely returned to Veracruz.

The ship called "Santo Cristo de Maracaibo" was the first to finish unloading its cargo in San Augustine and, without waiting for its companion, set off on the return voyage. It sank in a storm eight leagues from the port. If unloading had been carried out twelve days earlier, the ship could have safely made the return voyage.

The ship's owners complained that the delay was caused by long stops in Pensacola, Appalachia and Havana...

Florida Governor Jose de Zeniga y Zerda also accused the admiral of the death of the Maracaibo cargo, since it was unloaded in San Augustine, but they did not manage to remove it before the onset of the hurricane

General de Pez conveyed the viceroy's order to appear before the judge before the case. On March 15, a trial took place during which de Landeje denied any involvement in the sinking of any ship.

Testimony from witnesses was collected, proving that the forced halt arose as a result of the dilapidated condition of the ship. In addition, Lendehe did everything to save his ship at the time of the death of the Rosario and the subsequent operation to rescue valuables from his ship. The final decision of the case was left to the Council of Indian Affairs, located in Spain. The official answer came on December 2, 1706. The Council decided that the admiral had exactly followed all the instructions given to him by the viceroy, showed zeal and diligence in his work, both during the voyage and after the shipwreck. In this connection, any accusations against him are impossible.

Admiral Antonio de Landeje, unlike his ship, weathered the storm of attacks and accusations.

"San Jose"

By 1708, the War of the Spanish Succession had intensified the struggle not only along European coasts, but also in the colonies. Spanish and Dutch ships, one after another, headed for the shores of America with only one goal - to intercept the Spanish galleons returning to the mother country with a cargo of gold, silver, precious stones and various colonial goods.

After the death of the entire Silver Fleet in Vito Bay, the Spanish authorities made every effort to prevent such a disaster from happening again.

The Armada and the Mainland Fleet, under the command of General Don José de Santillan, consisting of 17 ships, three of which were large galleons, was about to cross the ocean to deliver another batch of gold to Spain. The captain was the 64-gun San Jose galleon with a displacement of almost 700 tons. In its holds, this galleon was transporting almost seven million pesos, excluding smuggled valuables.

Almiranta was the 64-gun galleon "San Joachim" under the command of Admiral Villanueva. The third largest in the armada was the 44-gun galleon of Vice Admiral Conde de Vega Florida "Saita Cruz". The fourth large ship was the 700-ton urca "Nietto", commanded by Captain Don José Francisca with 40 guns on board. The other ships in the fleet were mostly small merchant ships. In addition, the squadron included the French frigate Le Esprit and the Spanish petache Nuestra Señora del Carmen.

In Portobello, there was a little conflict about exactly how the treasures should be transported in order to ensure their greatest safety. As a result, most of the valuables, mainly gold, were loaded onto two galleons - the captain and the almirant. The vice-admiral's ship thus carried only thirteen chests of eight-real coins and fourteen bars of silver. The cargo sailboats were only loaded with colonial goods and carried no other valuables.

While the fleet was stationed at Portobello, news was brought from Cartagena that four to six enemy ships had been seen nearby. At the meeting of the captains and admirals of the fleet, there was a long and heated discussion about what should be done. It was clear that they most likely belonged to England or Holland and were waiting for the appearance of their fleet. Most of the officers were in favor of waiting for a safer time to cross, only Admiral Villanueva spoke in favor of an immediate exit to the sea, arguing that the sea was large enough and the fleet always had the opportunity to escape persecution.

On May 28, 1708, the Spanish Armada left Portobello and headed for Cartagena. Already by June 7 they had reached the small group of Isla de Baru, about sixteen nautical miles southwest of the entrance to the bay of Cartagena. The winds blew from the east-northeast, and the armada spent the whole night sailing between the islands. Only in the morning the fleet went to the entrance to the harbor, but again failed due to a headwind,

At 15.00 on June 8, Spanish sailors noticed three sails on the horizon, and then another. Very soon it became clear that the sails belonged to the English ships and that their course crossed the course of the Spanish fleet. It was no secret to anyone that the battle was inevitable. Around 1700 Villanueva drew up his fleet in a line of battle.

The English squadron, which appeared on the horizon, really hunted for the Spaniards. The English Admiral Water commanded four ships. The flagship 72-gun ship of the line Expedition was the largest, followed by the 64-gun Kingston and the 58-gun Portland. The Vultur fireship brought up the rear.

At 17.30 "Kingston" approached the almirante and fired a side salvo at it. The Spaniards also fired a broadside in response, although without much damage to the British. From that moment on, a battle began, which cost the Spanish treasury dearly.

Vater brought his ship within firing range of the captain and began to methodically shoot the Spaniards, taking advantage of the guns and training of the English crews. Panic broke out on board the San Jose. The Spanish sailors could not stand the shelling and began to rush around the deck, knocking each other down in search of shelter from the English cores. The battle between the two flagships continued for more than an hour and a half.

Suddenly, as Captain Petache Arause described it, a huge column of flame seemed to rise from the very bowels of the San Jose and ascended to the topmast and topsails like a volcanic eruption.

All this was accompanied by a huge column of smoke that enveloped the battlefield for a quarter of an hour. When the smoke cleared, the captains were gone.

Admiral Wager wrote about this in his report: “It was at sunset when I began shelling the admiral's ship [San José]. An hour and a half later, it exploded. My ship was a little off to the side within pistol range, so the heat from the explosion washed over us in a hot wave and pieces of rigging planks were thrown aboard us. We quickly threw them overboard. It [the Spanish ship] immediately sank with all its wealth.” 589 sailors found their grave at the bottom of the sea.

As soon as the San Jose sank, Admiral Wager turned his attention to the Santa Cruz. At 2 o'clock in the morning, he accidentally ran into him in the dark, but not knowing what course the Spaniards took, he ordered a broadside to be fired to prevent them from raising sails and going far enough. More than 250 cores were fired by the British at the Spanish ship. Attracted by flashes of gunfire, the Kingston and Portland joined the flagship. Soon, the Santa Cruz was a completely broken ship, lying like a log on the water. At that moment, the San Jokim crept up to the Expedition in the dark and fired a broadside salvo. However, having received in response the strongest volley from the English ship, he preferred to dissolve in the darkness. Wager hoped that the Kingston and Portland would pursue the San Joquim, but their captains chose to stay close to the wrecked Santa Cruz.

What was left of the wrecked Spanish sailboat was captured by the prize crew and taken in tow. Two days later, the surviving crew members of the Santa Cruz and thirteen survivors of the San Jose were landed on Isla del Rosario.

"Kingston" and "Portland" at this time tried to intercept the "San Yokim". In the area of the Salmedina Bank, they overtook the Almiranta, but the shallows forced the British to maneuver very carefully and did not allow them to come close to the Spanish ship. Almiranta was able to safely reach the harbor of Cartagena.

The rest of the ships of the Spanish armada, after the sinking of the San Jose, realizing that they could not resist the British, dispersed and retreated to the shoals inaccessible to me by the enemy. Since not all Spanish ships could pass through the shallow channels to Cartagena, it was decided to burn the Nietto so that the enemy would not get it.

This actually ended the battle of Cartagena. Admiral Wager was extremely dissatisfied with the fact that there were so few captured treasures. The bulk of the gold and silver either sank or reached Cartagena safely.

After arriving in Port Royal, the captains of the Portland and Kingston were put on trial for not following the admiral's orders.

The San José still lies at a depth of 1400 feet, with 64 bronze guns and more than seven million pesos. The search for these treasures continues.

For a very long time, treasure hunting and the search for lost treasures did not leave indifferent many people - from illiterate nomads to highly educated scientists, from poor peasants to powerful rulers. They searched for tombs of pharaohs and lost cities, treasures of great conquerors and treasures buried by pirates.
Sometimes treasure hunters were unspeakably lucky, but more often they were destined for not the best lot.
Also, after the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, all kinds of stories about galleons sunk in Vigo Bay with countless treasures became widespread. Although the British and Dutch - believed that they managed to collect almost all the surviving values, very many did not believe them. People had no doubt that along with the flooded Spanish galleons and other merchant ships, and perhaps French ships, a lot of gold, silver and precious stones went to the bottom.
The first search for valuables in the bay was started by the French in the late 1730s. However, they were not lucky, which is not at all surprising, given the low level of development of underwater technology at that time. Then the Spaniards decided to try their luck, and again the treasure hunters failed.
But to the British, led by William Evans, Fortune was a little more favorable. They were lucky to find several silver bars at the bottom. Perhaps the Spaniards felt a sense of hurt national pride, or perhaps they hoped that they themselves would be able to organize large-scale underwater work. But most importantly, under a far-fetched pretext, they forbade the British to continue work in Vigo Bay.
Meanwhile, Spain, Europe as a whole, and indeed the whole of the then so-called "civilized world", were shaken by large-scale wars and all sorts of political upheavals.

For many years, people were not up to treasures that either lay at the bottom, or existed only in someone's imagination. Only in the middle of the XIX century. permission to work in the bay was received by a French citizen D. Langland, who attracted a very wealthy man, banker I. Magen, to finance the enterprise. Here it is necessary to emphasize the fact that it was in France that the stories about the treasures lying at the bottom were treated with the greatest interest. Not without reason in the famous novel by Jules Verne "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" so much attention is paid to the topic of the rise of values in Vigo Bay. But before a large-scale expedition was organized, the Spanish government again considered it necessary to ban all searches - not only in the bay itself, but also in the archives.
Spain at that time lived extremely "fun": the country was constantly torn apart by civil wars and the struggle for power of various groups, and economic turmoil turned into a real disaster for public finances. It is not surprising that at some point during the next change of power, the pendulum swung and the new government decided to ignore the prohibitions of the previous authorities, and therefore the French again received permission to search for treasures in Vigo.
Magen approached the matter very thoroughly. He decided to involve the creators of the most advanced diving suits at that time, Benoit Ruqueirol and Auguste Deneruz. The latter recommended to the banker several experienced divers and a qualified engineer E. Bazin. As a result, after competently carried out preparation, work started in January 1870. Soon the wreckage of one of the ships (presumably a galleon) was examined, from which a cannon, cannonballs, various hand weapons and various other items were raised. But there were no valuables - except perhaps a silver glass.
Despite such modest results, the participants did not lose their enthusiasm. And among the local population, legends about the finds made were widely spread, and the most ordinary things in the stories of "eyewitnesses" turned into silver bars and jewelry. But time passed, three more ships were examined one after another, and all the "trophies" were still limited to all kinds of utensils and bags with colonial goods that had long since fallen into disrepair. The funds available to Magen were not unlimited, and they began to rapidly dry up. And then the finds began - in a short time they managed to raise silver bars with a total weight of about 130 pounds. This made it possible to attract the attention of the public, and after that to organize the sale of shares. The funds raised could well be enough for large-scale research, but again big politics intervened in the affairs of treasure hunters: the Franco-Prussian War began. A rapid succession of events followed: the defeat of France, revolutionary upheavals in Paris, the fall of the empire and the establishment of a republic ...
The interrupted works were never resumed, and their most interesting result can be considered a book written by Hippolyte Magin and published in 1873 in Paris. It was called "Vigo Galleons" and very vividly told about the history of the treasure hunt.
After Magen, who just did not search for treasures in the bay of Vigo. An American company specially created for these purposes even managed to raise one of the well-preserved ships, but the sea did not want to let go of its victim. During transportation closer to the shore, the galleon broke into pieces, which again sank to the bottom.

At the beginning of the XX century. a brilliant inventor, a well-known creator of equipment for underwater work and diving equipment, Italian Giuseppe Pino, took up the matter. He decided to put into practice the "Hydroscope" he had created; a most interesting structure, which was a hollow steel cylinder, from which, depending on the required immersion depth, several more sections were put forward. A special observation cabin equipped with portholes was attached to the lower one. In the upper part of the "Hydroscope" there was an observation platform, under which there was a large cork float, a kind of platform that gives the entire structure additional buoyancy.
Pino received from the Spanish government the legal right to work, while the Spaniards stipulated their share - 20% of all found values. But despite the use of the most advanced achievements of the then technology, including a very ingenious and well-designed device for lifting metal objects weighing several tens of tons from the bottom, the results were disappointing. Cast-iron cannons and even cauldrons of a shipwreck that sank in the second half of the 19th century were recovered to the surface. ship, but the real treasures - products made of precious metals - were found very little: only a few silver bars and small gold items.
In the XX century. treasure hunters organized expeditions of various sizes several dozen times more, and the use of more and more advanced technology allowed each new catcher of luck to hope for success. But contrary to all forecasts, nothing significant was found. By now, almost all historians have agreed that it is useless to look for treasures at the bottom of Vigo Bay. They just don't exist and never have. But the legend lives on, and there are still people who like to test the effectiveness of especially advanced metal detectors or underwater equipment.
A century and a half after the death of Spanish and French ships and ships in the Black Sea in the Vigo Bay during the Crimean War, a tragedy broke out, not related to the firing of guns and fire-ship attacks, but directly related to the struggle for Sevastopol. The death of a considerable number of ships and vessels during a severe storm was a real blow to Russia's opponents, and the legend that one of them carried a very valuable cargo of gold coins led to the creation in Soviet Russia of an amazing organization called EPRON. She has been successfully involved in the recovery of sunken ships for many years, which we will talk about in future issues.

At different times, expeditions working in Vigo Bay managed to find either a silver ingot, or a piece of jewelry, or a coin. But all these finds were isolated, only in 1870 the French expedition was lucky enough to pick up 130 pounds of silver. The main prey of unlucky treasure hunters most often became old guns and various metal objects that had no value in the eyes of treasure hunters.