Divers search for Armada treasure off Mull
Arizona Coin Collector
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/dec/07/scotland-divers-armada-treasure
Divers search for Armada treasure off Mull
Paul Kelbie, Scotland Editor
The Observer
Sunday December 7 2008
More than 400 years after a Spanish galleon loaded with
gold and silver slid beneath the waves in the waters
surrounding the Isle of Mull, a new mission has been
launched to try to recover its hoard of treasure.
Divers will begin to sift through the silt at the bottom
of Tobermory Bay in an attempt to recover the valuable
cargo, reputed to have been intended to bankroll the
ill-fated Spanish invasion of England in 1588. It is the
second time that Sir Torquhil Ian Campbell, the 13th
Duke of Argyll, has launched such a mission.
The mystery of where the battle-scarred ship lies has
puzzled treasure hunters for centuries. According to
local folklore, the vessel - laden with gold, jewels
and priceless historical artefacts - is at the bottom of
Tobermory Bay. Following the armada's defeat at the
hands of Sir Francis Drake, many Spanish ships fled
north to escape the English fleet, but became caught up
in violent storms. Exactly how the Almirante di
Florencia or the San Juan de Sicilia - the vessel's
exact identity has never been established - foundered
is unknown.
Legend claims that it succumbed to the weather and its
own battle damage, or was blown up by a clan chief
when the crew tried to leave without paying a
substantial levy.
Over the years there have been almost 20 attempts by
members of the Campbell family to find the treasure,
which, apart from a handful of gold and silver coins,
weapons, medals and a few human bones, has eluded
searchers. The current Duke, however, refuses to give
up and another team of 10 expert divers has begun
searching the seabed for the treasure, which is
rumoured to be worth more than £30m. The aristocrat's
ancestors were granted rights to search for the
wreck in 1641 by royal charter granted by Charles I,
despite protests from the MacLeans of Mull, who
built a fort overlooking the site and threatened to
shoot any Campbell who tried.
'Nothing has been found yet, but the investigation
is in its very early stages,' said Alison Brockway,
a spokeswoman for the Duke of Argyll, whose
ancestral home is Inveraray Castle. 'The window of
opportunity to do the work is very small because
when Tobermory Bay gets busy just after Easter,
the divers can't go about their business. It's a
painstakingly slow process, but we hope it will be
worth it in the end.'
A spokeswoman for Visit Scotland said that Mull
had become a 'mecca for divers' in recent years
because of the numerous wrecks in the vicinity
of the island.
..