THE PORT OF VIGO.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7893, 5 November 1904, Page 5

THE PORT OF VIGO.

Its Historic Association.

It is more than two centuries since the little Spanish port of Vigo last attracted world-wide attention, and, ominously enough, that was when Admiral Rooke's fleet attacked and ' utterly crushed a Spanish squadron. History relates that in 1702 the War of Succession was in progress, and for four years Spain had not dared to trust her American treasure fleet on the high seas, which were patrolled by the British and Dutch war vessels. At that time, however, Spain depended very largely upon the mines of the New World for the means of maintaining her empire, and it became imperative that money should be obtained, and the treasure fleet were therefore ordered to sail from the colonies under French convoy. It was on September 21st, 1702, that it slipped into Vigo. .Bay. Tnere are two harbors at Vigo, an outer and inner one. The inner harbor is reached from the outer one by a comparatively narrow channel. The galleons were in the inner harbor. Across the narrow channel between two points a boom barricade, made of chains and trunks of trees, was stretched, and on the two points there were weak forts.

For a month the treasure - laden galleons lay in safety, while the Spanish authorities at Cadiz wrangled with the authorities at Vigo as to landing the treasure. Cadiz claimed the right to handle royal treasures from America, and the Madrid Government ordered the landing of the gold and silver to be stopped. Finally, on October 23rd, the combined British and Dutch fleets sailed into the harbour, landed 4000 men and captured the forts, broke through the boom barricade and captured the galleons. The rest of the treasure fleet the Spanish burned, succeeding in landing only a small part of the treasure, most of which was stolen in the confusion. One of the British prize galleons went on the rocks and sank while she was being taken out of the bay. The value of the treasure that was on board the twenty-three galleons is variously estimated, but the gold and silver now at the bottom of the sea is said to be worth twenty-eight million sterling. The money value is certainly not so much. The whole cargo was probably worth £10,000,000. Of this the Spaniards secured perhaps £1,250,000, while the Dutch and British fleets took away about as much more, leaving treasure to tho value of £7,000,000 or £8,000,000 at the bottom of the bay.

Attempts have been made at various times to raise this sunken treasure, and a French company, in 1868, managed to raise a small quantity of gold and silver ingots, and at the present time a British company is endeavoring to recover the treasure. It was reported some months ago to have raised one galleon containing silver to the value of £60,000.