Treasure Hunt
Shipwreck, Diving, and the Quest for Treasure in an Age of Heroes
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
"A remarkable book, in which a very wide spectrum of human behavior is on show---from colossal gullibility on the one hand, to extraordinary ingenuity and determination on the other." —The Daily Telegraph (UK)
Treasure Hunt is the story of an obsession. Rumors of Spanish treasure, or gold and silver at the bottom of the sea, have been a part of maritime lore for centuries. In 1687, Captain William Phips brought back to port an incredible cargo---nearly forty tons of silver and gold---the treasure of the Spanish galleon Concepción, wrecked over forty years before on a coral reef in the middle of the ocean. The unimaginable had become real, and the great treasure-hunting boom had begun.
Soon after Phips's success, there were numerous expeditions that meant to emulate his stunning achievement. During that same time there was also a boom in the invention of crude and often very dangerous diving equipment. Many of these new projects were promoted on the infant stock market, where gambling and treasure hunting became closely connected with the birth of modern capitalism.
By the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, treasure hunting had become a professional occupation, with a new breed of diver emerging. Much of their time was spent salvaging the wrecks of English and Dutch East-Indiamen carrying treasure to finance business in Asia. Ever since, men have been prepared to risk life and fortune in the search for underwater riches.
The author of numerous books of maritime history, including The Pirate Wars and The Sack of Panamá, world-renowned historian Peter Earle returns with an extraordinary and little-known history---of outstanding bravery, of exceptional recklessness, and above all, of the unquenchable lust for treasure.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this painstakingly researched volume, naval historian Earle addresses the struggle to salvage major shipwrecks from the late 17th century through the early 19th century. He focuses primarily on British expeditions, although the wrecks come from many countries, most notably Spain, which lost countless treasure ships to reefs, battles and hurricanes. Particular emphasis is placed on the dreamers who gambled fortunes to rummage the ocean floors, as well as on professional divers and their dangerous craft. For Earle, the slow transformation of wild undersea treasure hunts into a semireasonable business tracks the dawning of the Industrial Age and the attempt to temper risk through the new stock markets. Overall, Earle is only as good as his primary sources. Where the records are colorful, we get engaging characters and vivid detail. Where the records run dry, readers are subjected to tedious descriptions of lawsuits and patent applications. Particularly strong sections include Daniel Defoe's appearance as a luckless investor and the wreck of the Earl of Abergavenny, which drowned 260 souls, most notably Capt, John Wordsworth, the younger brother of William Wordsworth. While the book would have benefited from some trimming, it remains a fascinating overview of an occupation that continues to lure scientists, scoundrels and dreamers.
