Ubilla's Capitana
PAGE 24.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA
1. 28 Sept 1715 - Havana, Don Prudencio Antonio de Palacio to El
Conde de Frigilania from Santo Domingo 377.
".... Ubilla had five ships and Echeverz had six when
they sailed from Havana ...Echeverz' ships were carrying a great
deal of tobacco ...On 31 July at 0430 in the morning all were
wrecked. Ubilla's Capitana and Almiranta broke up and the people
on them, to escape perishing on board, had to swim for shore.
Many were drowned and the rest, upon reaching shore, were in a
bad state from the battering of the seas or waves. Some died on
shore and the rest were not much better off because they were
unable to salvage anything to eat from the Capitana or Almiranta
of Ubilla's ...salvage vessels were sent from Havana and they
located the wrecks of Ubilla's Capitana and Almiranta, and 170
chests of silver were salvaged from Ubilla's Almiranta and are
already stored in Havana."
The above is from Nancy's condensed translation of the
original document. We have a copy of the original and Nancy has
extracted all the pertinent data. However, from carefully
reading the original, I have come across various points which
might be useful.
I. Since there is no mention of Echeverz Capitana and
Almiranta in the letter, we can assume that either their sites
had not been located at this time or, if they were, that they
were not carrying a great deal of treasure like the Capitana and
Almiranta of Ubilla.
II. Since treasure was only recovered from Ubilla's
Almiranta, we can assume that the reason for this were: (A) That
the treasure from the Almiranta was easier to recover because the
ship might have been more intact in comparison to Ubilla's
Capitana; (B) That it was recovered because Salmon was the big
Daddy on the scene and the Almiranta was his own ship and
naturally some of the treasure on board belonged to him;(C) That
the Almiranta might have been wrecked in shallower water
than the Capitana and thus easier to salvage.
III. It’s interesting that he mentions that the people
were starving because no victuals came ashore off either the
Capitana or Almiranta of Ubilla’s. This might indicate that; (A)
that both ships sank more or less intact and things weren’t being
washed ashore from either wreck; (B) that they did break up and
the chests etc. from both wrecks were all heavy and caught
against the inner reefs and thus did not reach shore.
IV. Since Palacios mentions Miguel de Lima's urca
being lost, but in a good place and much of its cargo being
salvaged, this indicates that there was contact between the site
of Lima’s wreck and the northern most wrecks. If so, this news
could have only been carried by passing by the site on any wrecks
in between. (Not if they went via Indian River ..JH) If so, why no
mention of any of these wrecks in this report ??? Was it because
they were not carrying much treasure and weren’t of great
interest?
PAGE 24a.
UBILLA’S CAPITANA - TWO
2. Manifest of the cargo carried back to Spain on the
ship named Principe de las Asturias, which consisted of items
recovered from the wrecks on the coast of Florida (Santo Domingo
419).
All of the items carried back on this ship were put
aboard it during June of 1716. Nowhere in the document does it
state from which wreck the items were salvaged, but a great
amount of items other than treasure - such as indigo, vanilla,
drugs, cochineal, and items of worked silver - were embarked in
this ship. Also one person sent back a box of ceramic drinking
vessels. The value of the items other than silver coins was
given. Value of the silver coins was given as 1,724,832 pesos.
A total of 531 chests of coins were placed aboard this
ship. 508 of these contained exactly 3,000 pesos in coins. The
other 23 chests were made up as follows:
Two sacks of 1,000 pesos each.
One chest of 2,766 pesos.
Ditto of 2,775 pesos and 4 reales.
Six chests containing a total of 18,124 pesos.
Six chests containing a total of 17,955 pesos.
Two chests containing a total of 5,834 pesos.
One chest with 2,478 pesos.
Three chests containing a total of 8,000 pesos.
Three chest containing 5,899 pesos one real.
3. Manifest of the ship Nuestra Senora del Carmen y San Antonio
which carried items salvaged from the 1715 ships back to Spain.
No mention of from which wrecks the items were salvaged. All
were placed aboard these ships in June 1716. Some of the items
placed on this ship were similar to those mentioned above, such
as indigo, Cochineal, etc. Two silver lamps were also carried
back, but their value was not given. Of the silver sent back,
the grand total aboard this ship was 1,953,162 pesos. A total of
638 chests of silver carried back, of which 431 chests contained
exactly 3,000 pesos. The others were broken up as follows:
67 chests with 202,000 pesos.
93 chests with 302,254 pesos 5 reales.
Two chests with 5,700 pesos.
One chest with 2,766 pesos.
Three chests with 7 silver bars and 20 pesos, with a
total value of 9,000 pesos.
22 chests with 65,134 pesos.
One chest with 2,000 pesos.
Six chests with 18,067 pesos.
Three chests with 7,563 pesos 3 reales.
Five chests with 14,500 pesos.
One chest with 5,850 pesos.
PAGE 25.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA – THREE
4. Letter from King to Governor of Cuba, 29 Jan 1716.
4. (Continued)
"...from the ship El Francisco, which arrived in La
Rochela (France), I received your letter of September 17th (1715)
describing the loss of Ubilla's and Echeverz’ ships on the coast
of Florida and telling that many persons were killed in this
disaster, which you first learned of on August 15th, by the
arrival of the schooner which was sent by Francisco Salmon and
Alonso de Armenta, and in which they requested victuals and water
because there was none to be found where the ships were lost.
You stated in your letter that the same day you sent the same day
some aid to them and that soon afterwards you sent other boats
with 30 divers and the necessary instruments, and that Don Joseph
Clemente was in charge of the salvage operation and it was hoped
that they would salvage the treasures from the Capitana and
Almiranta, as they knew the locations of these two wrecks. (A
long-winded sentence copied verbatim ..JH)
Then on November 20th another advice boat arrived at the Port of
Pasajes (northern Spain) with two letters from you dated 29th and
30th of September in which you told me that the salvage
operations and diving is still in continuation on the Almiranta
and that by that time you had safely stored in Havana 600,000
pesos belonging to me and 1,500,000 pesos belonging to private
individuals. That when the salvage operations on the Almiranta
were completed the salvors would then start salvaging the
treasures from the Capitana.. I am sending three of my warships
without any cargo; one will go to Vera Cruz carrying the Marques
de Balera, the new Viceroy of Mexico and the other two, commanded
by Fernando Chacon Medina and Antonio Serrano, will go to Havana
to pick up the survivors and all of the treasure salvaged and
that these two ships must not be detained longer than necessary
in Havana to load the treasure and people aboard.
Since the registers of the lost ships have been lost, there will
naturally be a great deal of confusion as to which treasures
belong to various people. From Vera Cruz duplicate register
books will be sent to eradicate this confusion ...More treasure
which is recovered after these two ships leave Havana can be sent
back on the ship which carries the Viceroy to Vera Cruz, as well
as on the ships of the Flota of Manuel Lopez Pintado."
NOTE: The two ships sent to Havana to pick up the salvaged
treasure were the Nuestra Senora del Carmen Y San Antonio and the
Principe de las Asturias. From Contratacion 1970A.
5. Meeting held in Havana amongst the Royal Offirials concerning
sending the salvaged treasure back on the two above mentioned
ships. (Contratacion 1970A). Meeting held on 14 June 1716.
“...in minutes of the meeting they mention that they
would embark all the treasures which have been recovered from the
ships of Ubilla’s Flota and the ships of Echeverz’ Squadron.”
PAGE 26.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA - FOUR
6. On 28 June 1716 the Royal Officials of Havana turned over to
Fernando Chacon Medina y Salazar for putting aboard his two ships
the following amounts of treasure belonging to the King.
680,697 pesos in silver coins contained in 226 chests
of cedar wood.
152,400 pesos in silver coins and 81 silver (must mean
boxes-JH) of which 43 of these larger than others. All
contained 37 chests. (?-JH).
16,000 pesos worth of l,000 doubloons of eight escudos
"Del puno nuevo del cordonsillo Mexicano”.
All of this treasure was coming from Mexico aboard the
Capitana and Almiranta of Ubilla, which has been recovered from
these wrecks. (Contratacion 1970A)
7. (Contratacion 5574) - 1716 - The Marques de Moya y de la
Torre petitioned the King to have an investigation concerning
some things that were being shipped back to Spain in Ubilla's
Capitana belonging to him and that if they were recovered he
wants them turned over to him.. There was about 20 pages listing
these things. I only copied some of the most interesting items.
One chest containing various pieces of worked silver
weighing about one hundred marcos - (about 50 pounds-JH).
"Un embolborio afarrado y ratulado a Don Juan Ubilla de
media quarta en redondo que incluye" ...which contained
inside it the following ...one "venera" (could be a
shell badge or emblem), which was decorated with
enameled silver set with diamonds.
A rosary of gold "Esmaltado de corona entera".
Another rosary made of good pearls.
Another rosary of “emparzadas en” gold "de corona”
Another rosary in gold with blue beads of semi-precious
stones.
Two gold reliquaries, one with a small gold chain.
Another reliquary made of silver.
A pair of "semillas” (translation is seeds, but it
might have meant cuff links or buttons then) made of
inlaid gold.
Two small caxtas (7) of gold.
Another one of silver "cobre dorada".
Two bracelets made of "Tambaga" set with emeralds.
8. (Santa Fe 430) - 19 June 1718 - King writes governor of
Cartagena.
"I understand that concerning the goods carried on the
ships of Echeverz which wrecked that many frauds were committed,
and I want you to verify the following. According to Don Antonio
Echeverz and his son Pedro, the amounts given to them from the
treasury in Cartagena to be carried to Spain in 1714 were as
follows:
46,095 pesos 6 reales 10 maravedis in doubloons.
309 castellanos 7 tomines 6 granos in gold dust.
Two barretoncillos (Small Bars) of gold of 646
castellanos.
All belonging to myself (the King) or my Royal Treasury.
PAGE 26A.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA – FIVE
9. Santa Fe 425 - 2 March 1715.
Brief mention that Pedro de Quevedo sailed on a ship named La
Santisima Trinidad, which sailed from Havana with the
Flota of Ubilla, but it doesn't indicate if it was part of
Ubilla's Flota or Echeverz Squadron.
9. (Continued)
But in Contratacion 1276, Libro 191, in 1713 there was a ship
selected as part of Echeverz Squadron named La Santisima Trinidad
y Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion. This was also the name of
Lima's Urca.
10. Santa Fe 423 - Contract between the King and Echeverz
concerning his preparing and taking 3 ships to Cartagena and
Puerto Belo, 14 October 1711. Only extracted interesting points.
One of the ships will carry 50 or 60 cannon and another 24 to 30
cannon ...that all of the treasure belonging to the King or Royal
Treasury will be carried in the largest ship of the Squadron.
11. Escribania de Camara - Letter from Salmon from Palmar de Ayz
in 27 degrees 50 minutes latitude, dated 8 August 1715 to Virrey
Duque de Linares.
" I must inform you of the fatal loss of our Flota (New
Spain Flota) and the Galleons (Echeverz Squadron) in an island
which I don't know but I am told it is named El Palmar de Ys,
which is about twenty five leagues from La Florida (St Augustine)
and all the products and treasure belonging to the King has been
lost, but we have hopes that most can be recovered by diving
operations.
The Capitana was broken up in many pieces, drowning the
General and all of his companions. The Almiranta under my
command broke into three pieces: in the bow and stern sections
those of us who could managed to escape. The main hold or middle
section of the ship, in which all of the silver and cargo was
stored, stayed in four or five fathoms of water and not a single
chest or leather bag of silver reached shore.
The ship of Lima was wrecked in the best place,
suffering the least damage, and most all of its cargo has been
salvaged.
On my ship one hundred men were drowned and those who
were able to escape were forced to sustain themselves on eating
palms and other "yerbas" (weeds, grass, or herbs), because we
were not able to recover any victuals from the wreck. (Nancy's
version differs with the next sentence) Of the Galleons, the
Capitana with Don Antonio de Echeverz appears to have fared
better than our ships and they have recovered some victuals from
the ship. We are all within a distance of ten leagues (27d 50m
to 27d 15m, using 3.5 NM to the league-JM), one from another.
11. (Continued)
For the past six days I have been suffering from the
gout (more probably arthritis - JH). I've written to the Governor
of Florida begging him to send us some supplies, to transport the
survivors and some property belonging to private persons,
NOTE, He has St Augustine located only 25 leagues or 75 miles
from the wreck site, when in reality it is about 135 nautical
mi1es.
PAGE 27.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA – SIX
12. Escribania de Camara 105SC - Casa Torres, Gov of Cuba, to
Virrey of Mexico, Linares, dated 12 Oct 1715 (See Nancy's
condensed version on pp 59 of her work)
"…. after 52 days of navigation between Vera Cruz and
this port (Havana - JH) Ubilla's Flota sailed from here
(accompanied by the Squadron of Echeverz and the ship named El
Grifon) on July 24th and on the 31st of the same month they were
struck by a terrible hurricane in the Bahama Channel and near the
coast of Florida in El Palmar de Ayz. The Capitana foundered
(ahogada) and lost with her was General Ubilla, along with all of
his passengers until (up to -JH) 53 or 54 (probably means 53 or 54
survived) and of marines and seamen an equal amount and more
(were saved or lost?). And of his (Ubilla's) Almiranta, eight
persons are left and the Admiral (Salmon) is alive.
With respect to the nao de Refuerzo, Patache, and
another frigate which the General bought in Havana. (Incomplete
sentence, someting was left out of the translation - JH). The
Capitana, Almiranta and other three ships commanded by Antonio de
Echeverz were also lost and a portion of the people off these
ships were drowned. We have no news or hope of three other
ships: El Grifon, a French frigate which Echeverz had taken as a
prize ship, and a registered ship of Echeverz named ,San Miguel
that had come to Havana to pick up tobacco.
According to the pilots and other experienced people,
Judging by their position when the hurricane struck, it is
believed they were swallowed up by the sea, and are totally
lost ... I received this news at 0200 on the morning of August 15th
when a launch arrived which was sent by Admiral Salmon and Don
Alonso de Armenta … we quickly sent aid to prevent the 1,500
survivors from perishing.
12. (Continued)
I had eleven boats prepared and sent some out the same
day and the remainder in the next two or three days; loaded
victuals, sweet water, arms, and munitions for defense against
the Indians of that area. Likewise I sent thirty or more divers,
with the necessary instruments, along with Joseph Clemente, a
very experienced person in salvage operations. All of the boats
arrived safely to the wreck sites. The boats brought back most
of the survivors and a great portion of the treasure belonging to
our King and the diving is still continuing.
The diving operations have been so successful that all
has been recovered from the Almiranta except 210 chests and 400
chests from the Capitana. From the Capitana, according to Alonso
de Armenta, divers have recovered 758 chests and this was also
confirmed in a letter from Admiral Salmon dated September 22nd.
We already have 700 and more chests safely kept here in
Havana ...There are now eight boats engaged in the diving
operations.
13. Escribania de Camara 1058C - Casa Torres to Linares, Havana
18 Oct 1715.
"...Because of bad weather the boat which is to carry
my letter to you describing the terrible loss of the Flota has
been detained here. Of eight boats engaged in the salvage
operation, news reached me only yesterday that one of these boats
coming to this port was wrecked due to bad weather at a port
named Jaimanita, five leagues (East - JH) from here.
PAGE 28.
She was carrying 85 chests of silver and 50 bars of silver, but
everything was salvaged from her ...I also received word that they
had recovered from the Capitana 940 chests of silver, of which
300 are now here in Havana under guard and we pray to God that
the rest will reach here safely, as we are worried as the weather
has been very bad of late..."
14. Escribania de Camara 1058C Don Miguel de Lima y Melo in
Havana to Duque de Linares, dated 19 October 1715.
"The day 24th of July at 0800 in the morning we sailed
from this port (Havana), our Flota composed of five ships
Capitana, Almiranta, Refuerzo, Patache, and small Frigate
(Fragatilla - JH) which General Ubilla bought in Havana.
14. (Continued)
Sailing in our convoy was the Squadron of Don Antonio de Echeverz
composed of six ships. Having sailed with little sail and winds
almost calm so Echeverz Squadron could catch up with us, because
since leaving Havana it had been apart from our Flota.
Arriving after 3 days at the mouth of the Bahama
Channel, when night fall came this same day we had 'Los Roques'
is sight and at daybreak the following morning we were near the
head of the Florida Keys (Key Largo or Key Biscayne) which was
opposite of us off our beam. And continuing we coasted along the
cayos and the mainland of Florida, however, always with very
light winds, having to tack until we were forced to lay to
(without sail), for the motive of still trying to incorporate
Echeverz Squadron which always sailed at a distance from our
Flota.
We were in this position when the wind began to blow
fresh from the ENE and taking a sounding we found we were in 50
fathoms of water. We were advised by the Capitana, by a cannon
shot and flags, to use what sails we could and head away from the
coast until we were in deep water. But we were unable to do this
because the currents were pushing us towards the shore and the
winds were getting stronger, as being from the wrong direction
for getting away from the shore.
The sun disappeared and the wind increased and
increased in velocity coming from the east and ENE. The seas
became very great in size, the wind continued blowing us toward
shore, pushing us into shallow water; Then the wind changed to a
furious hurricane and the seas became of such great size, with huge
waves, and being in still shallower water we were unable to
sail. It soon happened that we were unable to use any sail at
all, making bare our yards, mostly due to the wind carrying away
our sails and rigging, and we at the mercy of the wind and water,
always driving closer to the shore. Having then lost all our
masts, all of the ships were wrecked on the shore between the
middle of the night of the 30th until 10 in the morning of the
31st.
All of the ships, with the exception of mine, broke
into pieces. My ship stayed intact for 30 days after the
disaster until we recovered part of the cargo and then burned the
ship. At the time of the disaster I was able to have recovered
not only enough victuals for the men on my own ship but also to
sustain all of the people who escaped from the Patache which
wrecked ….
14. (Continued)
PAGE 29.
...two leagues from my own ship, and which went to pieces without
even a piece of biscuit being saved. We also aided our Admiral
Salmon and his people and the same with the survivors of the
Capitana which wrecked at a distance often leagues from my
Real (camp). By recovering all of these victuals off my ship I
was able to sustain all of the survivors from this disaster until
supplies finally arrived from Havana, which was 31 days after the
disaster. I took it upon myself to regulate the dispensing of
victuals among survivors, each one receiving four ounces of
biscuit, an amount of meat or 'ministras' every 24 hours, and
with this and some sweets or fruits which were thrown up by the
sea in small boxes, and some fish, we were able to keep most of
the survivors alive.
On these deserted beaches, which were very barren and
dry, God permitted us to find sweet water, enough to drink, by
making well. the height of a man, which were called 'casimbas'
(water reservoirs). However, all of the survivors were not able
to survive the temperament of those shores, as the storms of
great winds continued, along with much rain, and the heat of the
sun was insufferable, and the number of mosquitoes were probably
greater than the plague of Egypt.
All of the cargoes of the other ships were all lost,
less a few bags and boxes off my ship, but this was little,
because by the day following the disaster, the hold of my ship
was completely full of water, with over a codo and a half over
the main hatchway. This was caused because we were unable to cut
away the rigging on the leeward side of the ship to dislodge the
foremast. By the movement of the sea, caused by this mast still
being erect, the bottom part of the ship opened and if this
hadn't happened I would have been able to recover all of the
cargo of my ship. However, for the first 11 hours following the
ship wrecking, the ship was as strong as it had been before the
disaster, which is the ultimate proof of its great strength.
However, the same did not occur with our Capitana and
Almiranta. So far we have been fortunate that nothing bad has
occurred to the schooners carrying the treasure to Havana. I was
able to bring much of what we salvaged with me to Havana, but the
other is buried under ground at my Real and I'm hoping that it
all can be picked up by the next schooners which arrive there.
14. (Continued)
But Sir, most of the cargo is badly damaged and wet due
to the water entering my ship and in carrying the things from my
wreck to shore in a small boat. My boat and another off the
Capitana were the only launches which were left after the
disaster. My boat was the one which carried the news of the
disaster to Havana. All of the heavy rains further damaged my
goads once ashore, as there were too few sails left from our
wreck to cover all the goods.
I have suffered such great loses from this disaster
that I lack the funds to get back to my home or even to maintain
myself in this place (Havana). However, I am happy that I still
have my life and health as over 1,500 persons perished in the
disaster; including General Ubilla, Sandoval Peralta, Masson and
Padre Figueroa y Loyala, El Piloto Mayor (main pilot of the
Flota), Carr-
PAGE 30.
UBILLA’S CAPITANA - NINE
-anza and his companions. And of the 80 passengers of the Main
Table (First Class) of the Capitana only 7 escaped, and the main
portion of the seamen and marines likewise perished on this ship.
Similar loses of life were also seen on all the other
ships as well. On my own ship we lost only 30 seamen and
marines, which were carried away by waves while in the waist of
the ship before it finally ran aground on the coast. The ship
Grifon which sailed from Havana the same day as ours always
continued under sail and did not wait behind with the rest of the
Flota and we believe that it had already passed Cape Canaveral
when the storm began, but from news we have received from St
Augustine, we learned that fragments of a large ship came ashore
fifteen (15) leagues to leeward of this port and because of the
many reefs outside of that portion of the coast we fear that
there were no survivors from that wreck.
The ship La Concepcion, which was wrecked at Cape
Canaveral, had only seven survivors who after great hardships
finally reached shore. For three days they were on a hatch cover
of the wreck, unable to reach shore because of the many shallows
and reefs that lie off this cape for about 8 to 10 leagues
seaward.
14. (Continued)
However, with regards to El Grifon, we will need
further confirmation tb know for certain if it was lost.
However, it is certain that the weather was very bad and the
Grifon would have been at the mercy of the seas, as she was very
low in the water due to the great amount of cargo aboard her. On
board her were Senor Pagaue y Zuniga, who was Governor of
Cartagena, and other well known persons. At St Augustine they
suffered from the storm and part of the wall of that town was
destroyed ..."
15. Escribania de Camara 1058C - Casa Torres to Linares, 26 Oct
1715, from Havana.
"...bad weather is still preventing the departure of
the advice boat I'm sending to Vera Cruz with mail for you...to
this day I now have safe guarded in this city 1,487,000 pesos in
treasure which was recovered from the wrecks ...they are still
continuing the diving and salvage operations, but have to fight
strong winds and heavy rains.."
16. Escribania de Camera 1058C - Don Alonso de Armenta Cassano Y
Guzman in Havana to Linares, dated 21 Oct 1715.
"...after leaving Havana we navigated until reaching a
latitude of 28 degrees, when the wind started to blow from the NE
and we had to run with dry masts (no sail) and because of the
massive seas which were running our masts were all knocked down
and the people in the waist of the ship were swept away by the
seas. We were unable to resist this violent hurricane and all of
the ships were wrecked on the coast of Florida at El Palmar de
Ayz in 16 leagues of distance (from one another)."
NOTE: (This is about 56 nautical miles or rouqhly the distance
from St Lucie Inlet to Cape Canaveral, 27 d 15m to 28d 11m - JH).
"All of the ships of our Flota went to pieces except
that of Miguel de Lima which stayed intact, but full of water due
to his not chopping down the foremast. Aboard the Capitana over
200 persons-
PAGE 31.
were drowned, including Ubilla. All of the ships, including
those of the Squadron of Don Antonio de Echeverz, lost about
1,000 persons. Having by God's Grace calmed the weather and
escaped the launch of the Capitana we sent it commanded by Nicola
de Ynda, the main pilot of the Almiranta, to give notice at
16. (Continued)
Havana of our plight. It carried my letters to Don Martin de
Palma, the authorized representative of the Consul ado de Sevilla
and to Captain Manuel de Mirallas, and to the Governor of Havana
requesting aid ...eight schooners were sent and they took most of
the survivors back to Havana ...Admiral Francisco Salmon and I
stayed there to supervise the search for the silver in the wrecks
of the Capitana and Almiranta at the cost of great labor and
fatigue, which thanks to God they found at a cannon shot distance
from shore (doesn't make clear if both the "C" & "A" or just one
wreck) in 3 fathoms of water and with a portion of the divers we
began the salvage work and began recovering the treasure from
both wrecks. At this time we have under safe storage about three
million pesos from all the ships and are waiting now for the
return of six schooners (Balandras - JH) which are now at the
Reales (campsites) to bring back 1,800,000 more pesos which are
being guarded on land, having left behind confident persons in
charge of recovering more of the treasure …. "
17. Santo Domingo 843 - Governor of Florida, Don Francisco de
Coreojes y Martinez, from St Augustine to the King dated 19
Aug 1715.
"I wish to inform you that on the day 7th of August a
boat arrived here, entering via the Bar of Matanzas commanded by
Cavalry Captain Juan de Maricano, delivering two letters dated
August 4th, from Admiral Salmon. Salmon notified me of the loss
of the Flota and Galleons during a severe hurricane at Palmar de
Ayz, located forty leagues to the south of this port, and that
the Capitana of Ubilla had sunk in five fathoms of water. (At
this point in time they had no idea where the Capitana lay - JH)
Salmon requested that I provide him with victuals and some boats
because his people were dying on shore, and because of the death
of Ubilla Salmon has taken it in his charge to recover and guard
the treasure. In another letter of the same date, Salmon
informed me that some of his people have mutinied and are headed
towards this place loaded with silver they took from the Real.
This same day the Treasurer of the Royal Hacienda informed me
that of the maize and corn we have in the warehouse for the
soldiers and others there is not sufficient to last two months,
but notwithstanding the following day I sent them biscuit,
shovels, axes, hoes and some munitions which the Admiral
requested and I also wrote him this same day concerning the safe
keeping of the Royal Treasure, stating that I thought it best to
bring all the recovered treasure to the Royal Fort at St
Augustine, as this could be done by bringing it up the inland
waterway and it wouldn't be placed in danger by being carried on
the open seas.
17. (Continued)
By taking the treasure back to Havana it eventually face the same
danger again, because during August, September, and, -
PAGE 32.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA - ELEVEN
-October these waters are dangerous because of strong winds
blowing towards the coast of Florida. (This probably would have
been the wisest course of action, but the officials in Havana
never would have bought it - JH) Thus I have dispatched the Auditor
of the Royal Treasury of this place to the Real where Admiral
Salmon and the leader of the Galleons Don Antonio de Echeverz
are. At the same time that the Auditor left in 'Piraguas'
(canoes) I sent a large schooner with victuals along with
fishermen and hunters to help in supplying additional food ..."
18. Santo Domingo 843 - 4 Aug 1715 - Salmon to Governor of
Florida.
“... requests shovels, and hoes to remove some of the
sand from the hold of the Capitana, which lies in five fathoms of
water, with hopes of recovering some of the silver ...the ship did
break up in pieces.." (He has to mean the Almiranta, since the
Capitana had not be found at this early date - JH)
19. Santo Domingo 843 - Declaration of Captain Sebastian Mendez,
St Augustine 7 Aug 1715.
Mendez was the Pilot of the ship named Nuestra Senora
del Carmen, alias La Olandessa, one of the ships of the Squadron
of Antonio de Eheverz.
"The day 24th of July he sailed in company of the
Galleons and the Flota and was lost on Wednesday the 31st at 2 of
the morning due to a hurricane which came from the ENE with such
severity that although he had navigated a great deal he had never
seen a storm this bad. His ship was lost and all the others too
one after another in Palmar de Ayz on the coast in 28 degrees 10
minutes latitude outside the mouth of the canal. (His navigation
instruments or skills leave much to be desired - JH) From all of
the ships only victuals from Lima's Urca and the Capitana of Don
Antonio de Echeverz were recovered. (NOTE: Error in translation
of J.M. Rodriquez Jr., which was done before Marx came on board.
He has the cargoes being saved from two ships when only the
victuals or some victuals were saved.) (?- JH)
19. (Continued)
That no victuals escaped from the Capitana or Almiranta of
Ubilla. That the hull of (Ubilla's) the Capitana at a distance
from shore and only the upper superstructure of the ship came
ashore. That nothing had been done when he left the wreck site
on August 4th to recover the treasure of the King, because the
survivors were too exhausted and battered to do anything. All of
the lost ships are in an area comprising nine leagues from north
to south ...”
19A. Santo Domingo 843 - Declaration of Padre Francisco de Leon
y Cabrera, Chaplain of the Patache Nuestra Senora de Regla
of the Flota of Ubilla. Given on 12 Aug 1715 at St
Augustine.
He was sent to St Augustine at Salmon’s orders in the
same launch which carried there the first news of the disaster to
the Governor of Florid.
“...the Captain of the Patache was Don Francisco
Ignacio Barriga ... (Note. This was already translated by
Rodrequez, see file 15-3 ..the translation is correct and can be
used. Too bad the Priest did tell more about what happened
to his Patache).
PAGE 33.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA TWELVE
20. Santo Domingo 843 - Translation of this document done by
Rodriquez - see file 15-3. Declaration of Captain Francisco
de Medinay Barela, St Augustine 12 Aug 1715.
His translation is correct except for one major point;
The Capitana referred to in the document is Ubilla's. I'll
translate this section over. “...and the treasure of the King,
which came in the Capitana of (Ubilla's) Flota, sank in depths a
large distance from shore, but with grapnels he believes that it
can be located. That when he left the scene of the disaster on
Aug 4th only the superstructure of Ubilla's Capitana has washed
ashore .." (What has Marx added ? - JH)
21. Santo Domingo 843 - Declaration made by Admiral Francisco
Salmon at his Real at Palmar de Ayz, 7 Sept 1715.
"..states his Real is at the site of his wrecked
Almiranta and that his Real is 48 leagues from St Augustine, more
21. (Continued)
or less ...he certified that on Sept 3rd that Captain Francisco
Melendez Marques, the Auditor sent from St Augustine by the
Governor, had arrived, but Salmon decided it would be better to
send all of the recovered (treasure) to Havana ...”
22. Indiferente General 2524, Libra 21 - Diego de Morales
Velasco, Assistant to the King in Madrid, writing to the
Consulado de Sevilla, 22 Nov 1715.,
"We have just received a letter from the Governor of
San Sebastian (Port of Northern Spain) with a copy of a letter
from La Rochela (France) where the San Francisco arrived with the
news of the loss of the Flota of Ubilla and the ships of Tierra
Firme of Antonio de Echeverz on the coast of Florida near the
island of Palmar on July 31st at 3 o'clock in the morning ...it is
believed that they will be able to recover the treasure of the
Capitana and Almiranta because these ships ran aground. The
Capitana is in 3 1/2 fathoms of water and the Almiranta in 3
fathoms. By now schooners and other small boats have been sent
from Havana.
23. Indiferente General 2020 - Antonio de Aguirre to Casa de
Contratacion, 23 Aug 1716.
"...Flota of Manuel Lopez de Pintado left Vera Cruz on
May 23, 1716, and reached Havana June 22nd. There in Havana is
Don Fernando Chacon, who now has the major part of the treasure
recovered from the wreck of Ubilla (this could mean wrecks of
Ubilla, see page one of Nancy's work) which will continue until
the salvage operations are complete. He is bringing 1,400,000
pesos belonging to the King and three million pesos belonging to
private persons. Our Flota sailed from Havana on July 7th along
with Fernando Chacon and this day we are in sight of Cadiz."
PAGE 34.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA - THIRTEEN
24. Indiferente General 2645 - Alonso de Armenta, aboard
Capitana of Flota of Pintado, in sight of Cadiz, 23 Aug 1716
(See Nancy's pp 4). Armenta sent other news by way of the
Canaries concerning the treasure salvaged from the 1715
Flota.
"...and I must find new forces on both land and sea to
prevent any further incursions from the enemy who impede the
salvage operations and communications between the wreck sites and
24. (Continued)
Havana ...the enemy landed on shore a long distance from our
Reales and, realizing their intentions, it was decided that the
small vessels being used for the salvage work be taken to a river
nearby and with sufficient soldiers for escort the 200,000 pesos
which was recovered at that time would be carried overland to
boats, which was done. The enemy accomplished nothing more than
burning the huts of the salvors, and being frustrated in their
intent the enemy then re-embarked on their vessels and anchored
over the lost ships. Then seeing how well armed the Spaniards
were they raised anchor and left and our people went back to work
again, recovering 320,313 pesos more, which with the other
200,000 totaled 320,313. Armenta then returned to Havana with
this treasure and ceased diving operations, claiming that the
small amount they were then recovering were not sufficient to
counteract the high costs of protecting the sites."
25. Indiferente General 2648 - Casa Torres to King, 17 Sept 1715.
"After suffering two storms in the port of Vera Cruz,
one during Sept 1714 and the other on 28 March 1715, in which
different ships were lost, Ubilla's Flota sailed from Verz Cruz
with four ships - Capitana, Almiranta, Refuerzo, and Patache sailing
from there May 2nd and arriving here after 53 days of
navigation on June 24th. Due to such a long voyage from Vera
Cruz, the ships were detained here to replace victuals they
lacked for the voyage to Spain. On July 24th they sailed,
accompanied by the Squadron of Echeverz, comprised of six ships,
the four he provided by contract and two prizes(a Dutch ship and
a French ship) which he had captured. Also the ship Grifon, with
Captain Daire, which had permission of his Majesty to go to
Mexico, sailed in the convoy.
On July 31st they were all wrecked in the Bahama Canal,
on the coast of Florida, at Palmar de Ayz by a terrible
hurricane. In Ubilla's Capitana many people were lost; up to 53
or 54 passengers and the same number of seamen and marines. On
the Almiranta three (believe this is an error) were lost, but the
Admiral himself survived. Another 130 persons were lost on the
Refuerzo and the Patache of Ubilla; and on the Capitana and
Almiranta of Echeverz and on La Concepcion. There is no news or
any hope for the three ships El Grifon, the French Prize in
Echeverz Squadron, or the register ship San Miguel that came to
Havana, sent by Echeverz.
I received this unhappy news on August 15th at two in
the morning by a launch sent by Salmon and' Armenta from Palmar de
Page 25. (Continued)
Ayz asking for boats and supplies as soon as possible so that the
1500 survivors should not perish. I sent nine vessels and two
launches with supplies and water and more than 30 divers and Don
Joseph-
PAGE 35.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA FOURTEEN
Clemente, who has done a lot of salvage work. All arrived safely
at Palmar and of the eleven, five vessels have returned to Havana
already, loaded with people and some property of private persons,
which the sea threw ashore in chests. Today I received a letter
from Armenta stating on August 31st that they had located the
Almiranta and from the storeroom of the Almiranta they had found
the chests of silver, but they have not located the wreck of
Ubilla's Capitana. But they believe that they will recover most
or all of the treasure from the Almiranta. (See Nancy pp 8).
26. Indiferente General 2648 - San Sebastian (Port of North
Spain) Prince of Campo Florida to Marques de Crimaldo.
Encloses copy of part of a letter sent from France to a
private person in San Sebastian, containing news of the
Flota's loss brought by a French ship that sailed from
Havana in September, 14 Nov 1715.
"In the Capitana 36 passengers were lost, among them
Ubilla, and 170 sailors and soldiers. In the Almiranta of Salmon
four passengers and 20 seamen were lost. As for the Fragatilla
(small frigate) that Ubilla bought in Havana, they know nothing
and believe that everyone perished aboard her ...in the ships of
Echeverz about 400 were drowned, including one of Echeverz' sons
(actually he lost two sons - JH). In the ship of Soto Sanchez five
passengers and 20 seamen were lost. All of the ships were lost
totally, less the silver, which they believed that a considerable
part escaped because the Capitana of Ubilla ran aground in 3 1/2
fathoms and the Almiranta in 3 fathoms.... (See Nancy pp 8).
27. Indiferente General 2648 - Mexico City, Virrey Linares to
King, 29 Nov 1715.
In this letter Linares is complaining about Ubilla's
judgement .....and far from thinking or taking steps to avoid the
storm hitting them in the Canal de Bahama, the Flota sailed very
slowly through the Canal, waiting for Echeverz ships that it
seems were sailing slower than was necessary on purpose …
27. (Continued)
The only fortunate thing about the whole Flota is the recovery of
the treasure, that in the ruins (or wreck) of the Capitana and
Almiranta of the Flota, which are broken up in pieces and
submerged, they have been able to dive and recover to this date,
they tell me, 5 million pesos, not only recovering the Royal
Treasure but also recovering all of the registered cargoes of one
and another of the naos, including that of the ship of Miguel de
Lima, which served in the fleet as Refuerzo (Supply ship - JH). It
is believed that by now all of this treasure will have been
transported to Havana. It is also believed that they have
salvaged the wreck of Ubilla's Patache .."
PAGE 36.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA - FIFTEEN
28. Indiferente General 2648 - Sevilla, Merchants Guild to Diego
de Morales Velasco of the Council of the Indias, 3 March
1716.
"A letter has been received from Alonso de Armenta
from Havana dated 30 Oct 1715 in which he reports that he had
recovered about 5 million pesos more or less, of which he sent
about 3 million to Havana, and since he has left the wreck scene
and come to Havana, he left in the Reales of the diving of the
Almiranta of the Flota to Commissioners to replace him...".
29. Indiferente General 2648 - Havana, Joseph Prem y Castro to
Francisco Prem y Castro, 30 Oct 1715.
From my two brothers I have received a letter from
Palmar dated Oct 10th advising me that they are in good health,
and Fernando (his brother) who is in charge of the salvage of
Ubilla's Capitana states that they found the bottom of the ship
in two fathoms of water and have already recovered from said ship
949 chests of silver. And our brother has written to Alonso de
Armenta stating that very shortly they will have completed the
salvage of the Capitana, taking into consideration what has
already been recovered that there is very little more to recover
of that which came regitered on the ship ..". (This is a very
revealing document since it comes from a man who was there
working on the Capitana. Two brazas is about 10 or 11 feet of
water, pretty conclusively showing that this can only be
Corrigan's site. The reason there is little left is that it
being so shallow and with little sand and a hard bottom the
English pirates probably pretty much cleaned up what the Spanish
didn't. Earlier, on the Almiranta, they were digging into the
29. (Continued)
sand which was fused to the bottoms of the bones. Also they were
in from 3 and 1/2 to 5 fathoms, depending on who tells the story.
This can only be the Cabin site as the main ballast there is in
about 20-22 feet of water - JH).
30. Indiferente General 2648 - Havana, Francisco Soto Sanchez to
(?), 29 Oct 1715.
"From the diving on Ubilla's Capitana they have
recovered more than 940 chests and this ship was carrying 1300
chest registered. From the Almiranta they have recovered over
736 chests, and this ship carried 990 registered. All of the
treasure is being brought to Havana so that afterward when they
have finished the salvage operations, the treasure will be
divided and given to the person to which it belongs. The salvage
operation is going so well that the loss overall will not be
much. I have just arrived at Havana with the intention of buying
a schooner and going in search of my own ship to see if I can
find anything on it, but after arriving here I find instead I
wish to return to Spain and decided to leave all of the goods of
my charge and interest in the hands of Don Manuel de Mirallas, a
resident of Havana .." (I find it hard to believe the Colored
Beach site with it's thousands of gold coins could have been the
property of this man. He would have moved heaven and earth to
personally get back to it!-JH).
31. Indiferente General 2648 - Palmar de Ayz, Alonso de Armenta
to Casa Torres, 9 Sept 1715.
"…. Because of the dangers of sailing these waters I
fear sending treasure at this time of year to Havana as I'm doing
in the schooner carrying this letter, which has over 200 chests
of silver and some sacks and pieces of silver. At this time the
total number of chests of silver recovered from the Almiranta of
Ubilla number over 400 and although I have hopes of recovering
the major part of the silver from this Almiranta, even though
with great danger-
PAGE 37.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA - SIXTEEN
and impossibilities, but nothing is certain. As yet we have not
done much about recovering the treasure from the Capitana of
Ubilla, mainly because of the lack of small boats for this
purpose. (More proof that the Ballast Pile was in very shallow
water where only a very small boat could safely get into it- JH).
Notwithstanding the nearness of Winter coming I shall do what I
can in this matter ..."
32. Indiferente General 2648 - Havana, Casa Torres to King, 30
Sept 1715.
"Enclosed letter from Armenta, who stayed at Palmar de
Ayz to salvage the Almiranta of Ubilla. The diving is proceeding
with much success, but the trip between Havana and Palmar is so
dangerous because of the many shallows that the medium sized
vessel that carry the treasure back to Havana have to proceed
very slowly .." (The ships may have gone to Havana via Hawk
Channel- JH)
33. Indiferente General 2658 - Porto Belo, Echeverz to Joseph de
Grimaldo, 6 Feb 1714.
Echeverz arrived in Cartagena on Aug 29th 1713, with
the 3 ships of his Squadron, having left the Fragata San Miguel
off at Puerto Rico. San Miguel headed for Havana as a registry
vessel. Echeverz reached Porto Belo with the mercury, Papal
Bulls, Sealed Paper, soldiers, artillery, mortars, arms and
munitions. He waited long in Porto Belo and will wait until the
end of the month. By way of land he sent word to the Virrey of
Peru and Presidents of Panama and Santa Fe, telling them to send
his the King's treasure. He doesn't want anyone to say that he
didn't wait long enough to execute the King's orders, i.e. to try
to bring back some treasure from these colonies. But he doesn't
have much hope in view of what some merchants had written him.
The only one who definitely committed himself to sending treasure
was the President of Santa Fe de Bogota, who will send it to
Cartagena ....
34. Indiferente General 2658 - Madrid, Consulta Consejo, 29 July
1711.
"The King has ordered recently that Royal Treasure and
that of private persons can be shipped back on Echeverz three
ships. The Consul de Indias also wants salaries from Lima
shipped back on Echeverz ships instead of by way of Buenos Aires,
as earlier ordered. The Viceroy and Treasury Officials of Lima
should be notified very soon so that they can collect the funds
and ship them to Porto Belo where they can be loaded on Echeverz'
ships. The funds should be divided equally between the two
largest ships."
35. Indiferente General 2658 - Havana, Echeverz to King, 24
April 1716.
Echeverz says he left Cartagena for Porto Belo and
arrived there on 3 Dec 1713. Left Porto Belo on 24 April 1714
and reached Cartagena on May 15th 1714. Left Cartagena on the
35. (Continued)
7th of September, 1714 and reached Havana on 2 Oct 1714. He
explained the reasons for these delays and was also carrying many
documents with him to satisfy the King that the delays were not
his fault, but all of them were lost at Palmar de Ayz. Claims
the delays were the fault of the Royal Officials, but they were
very clever in covering them for themselves. What he can offer
is his defense is the fact that he was not brinq back any
PAGE 38.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA - SEVENTEEN
cargo belonging to private persons from any of the ports he
visited, which certainly could not have been the reason for his
delay in those ports. Yet during this prolonged delay he had to
maintain 600 persons on his ships, as well as paying them their
salaries, yet with no means of making up this loss of capital by
collecting freight charges on any cargo, since he carried
none ...Of the six ships of his Squadron which wrecked he was able
to escape with only the clothes on his back. He has nothing but
debts and lawsuits and now the only thing he can be thankful for
is that he personally survived the hurricane.
36. Indiferente General 2658 - Letter in Echeverz' own hand, no
date; sent with above letter.
This letter mentions that the Grifon and another French
ship, the Francisco, were of 600 tons or more and they carried a
lot of tobacco back to France. Echeverz, likewise brought back a
lot of tobacco for the King.
In another letter the Casa de Contratacion writes to
the King stating that it would delay Echeverz if he were to pick
up 1,500,000 pounds of tobacco in Havana, so Echeverz is sending
a Patache or other ship direct to Havana to pick up the tobacco
and this will be a ship of 30 guns. This probably was the San
Miguel.
37. Indiferente General 2648 - Havana, Royal Officials to King,
18 June 1716.
The King ordered them to obtain from Porto Belo and
Cartagena the registers of Echeverz' ships so that they could
distribute the treasure salvaged from them belonging to the King
and private persons. They were unable to obtain the registers
(means registrys- JH) and ordered Echeverz and his officers to
37. (continued)
declare what effects they were carrying belonging to the King and
Private persons (Didn't the Maestre de Plata survive?- JH). It
was learned in an investigation that some pearls belonging to
Echeverz had been salvaged and were held by two resident of
Havana as collateral or payment for some money they had advanced
Echeverz while he was in port. They made further investigations
to determine if part of these pearls belonged to the King.
38. Indiferente General 2648 - Havana, 1715, Royal Officials to
King.
They inform the King that they are enclosing the
registers for all the goods that have been loaded in Havana on
the ships of Ubilla and Echeverz, but their registers were not
with the letter. (Try Contratacion, Libros de Registros- JH).
39. Indiferente General 2648 - Havana 1715.
Ubilla's Capitana and Almiranta each carried about
36,000 pesos in reales, gold bars, and discs and silver bars
which had been salvaged from the wrecked Almiranta of the Armada
de Barlovento in 1711. This would account for some early coins
on the wrecks.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA - EIGHTEEN
PAGE 39.
40. Santo Domingo 419 - Havana, Testimony of Captain Nicolas de
Ynda, Piloto Mayor of Ubilla's Almiranta, 16 Aug 1715.
"The Flota was lost on July 31st ...all the ships were
lost except a French nao and three frigates of Echeverz'
Squadron, because by the time the storm struck they had taken
another route (they were further north than the rest- JH). The
hurricane struck when they were in 28 degrees latitude, so
fiercely that, having lasted into the next day, and with the
greater part of the sails and masts lost and seeing that it was
impossible to keep their position, the ships had to be run
aground. Ubilla and his Captain of sea and war drowned along
with most of his officers. Estimates are that 200 people from
the Capitana and the same number from the Almiranta were lost and
many others in the rest of the ships. The total number of ships
lost is eight, and they are located from 27d 15m to 27d 50m. The
day before the storm the frigate San Miguel of the Tierra Firme
Squadron separated from the convoy; two days before the storm the
French ship El Grifon separated; and on the day of the storm the
Fragata 'Concepcion y San Miguel' of Echeverz Squadron separated.
40. (Continued)
Then, after the storm, Salmon and Armenta ordered Captain Ynda to
take the news to Havana in a launch, which was from Ubilla's
Capitana, along with 18 men. They needed supplies in Palmar de
Ayz because very little was salvaged. The storm was so intense
that when they ran aground most of the ship were already
damaged." (NOTE: Believe this to be an error on Nancy's part. I
have sent to Spain for this complete letter, as well as all the
others on pp 22-27 of Nancy's work. Believe she condensed them
too much as they as from a document of 178 folios).
(Handwritten note in margin says .."Nancy got all info as I had
microfilm sent of these Docs" ..- JH)
41. Santo Domingo 419 - Palmar de Ayz, Salmon to Casa Torres,
August 1715.
"Ubilla drowned with all the members of his council,
except three Cavalry Captains. We are on an island in the
greatest want without anything to eat. All of the ships of the
Flota and the Squadron have been lost. As for the treasure
belonging to the King and private persons carried in the
Almiranta's hold, it has been set free from the first reef it hit
and is now over sand and in four fathoms of water (about 22').
From the Almiranta's hold we have recovered nothing, except for a
few boxes or chests which came ashore on pieces of the ship's
cabins ...”
42. Santo Domingo 419 - Havana, Orders from Casa Torres to
captain of the boat leaving for Palmar de Ayz, 16 Aug 1715.
"...whenever you arrive at the site of the disaster
take great caution to discover the nao of Miguel de Lima, which
is the first of the wrecks, and reaching there deliver my letter
to Alonso de Armenta and also the supplies ...Then continue until
you reach the Real where Admiral Salmon is and give him my letter
and the supplies ..."
PAGE 40.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA - NINETEEN
43. Santo Domingo 419 - Casa Torres to Salmon, 18 AUG 1715.
Joseph Clemente and Domingo Aloburu to be in charge of
salvage, along with four Spanish divers and a portion of Indian
divers, and all the necessary instruments sent.
44. Santo Domingo 419 -20 Aug 1715
List of instruments sent for use in the salvage
operations: one new cable of hemp, 10 1/2 inches thick and more
than 100 fathoms long; One large anchor; axes; gun powder; six
hoes with their handles (Several of these were found on the 1733
Capitana- JH); two tin-plated pumps; iron shovels with handles;
eight hooks for salvage; 12 picks or crowbars; and other iron
tools.
45. Santo Domingo 419 - Palmar de Ayz, Captain Rafael de Elisa
to Casa Torres, August 1715: Elisa was the Captain of sea
and war of Lima's Refuerzo and is sending this message of
the Refuerzo launch.
"Thanks to God preserving this ship we had the joy of
salvaging or saving all of the silver and part of the cochineal,
indigo, vanilla, and other products and we are continuing to offload
these items with the launches of the Patache, trying to save
all that we can. Please return our launch as soon as possible as
we need it."
46. Santo Domingo 419 - Casa Torres to Salmon, 31 Aug 1715.
Urges speed in recovering the treasure because the
winter brings storms which will shift the sands of that coast,
and also because he fears that pirates from Jamaica will endanger
the operation. Another danger is from the Indians.
47. Santo Domingo 419 - Salmon to Casa Torres, 25 Aug 1715.
The 2nd schooner the Governor sent has arrived with the
four divers. Another vessel belonging to Monsieur Portas is at
the Real of the "Refuerzo, 10 leagues from where Salmon is.
(35 minus 27d 50m equals 27d 15m - More proof they used 3.5
nautical miles for each league- JH).
48. Santo Domingo 419 - Real of Refuerzo to Casa Torres, 30 Aug
1715.
"Today we received correspondence for the Real of the
Almiranta with the good news that they have found the hull with
the silver in it and the divers have already taken out two chests
which are now on land under the care of Don Juan de Torres and
Don Juan Francisco de Porta ..”
49. Santo Domingo 419 - Havana, Domingo Gil de Araujo to Casa
Torres, 14 Sept 1715.
49. (Continued)
Araujo was a merchant who was on Lima's Refuerzo and
was entrusted by Armenta with taking and salvaging goods from the
Refuerzo to Havana. Lima's ship ran aground on the coast of Ayz
because of the force of the storm and remained intact so they
have been able to take off most of the cargo.
PAGE 41.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA - TWENTY
50. Santo Domingo 419 - Salmon to Casa Torres, 28 AUG 1715.
"..yesterday they went dragging for the hull of the
Almiranta and it was found. Two chests were recovered as proof
that this is the part where the treasure was loaded and tomorrow,
weather permitting, they will recover more chests .."
51. Santo Domingo 419 - Palmar de Ayz, Lima to Mirallas, 5 Aug
1715.
"Thanks to God all of the silver on my ship has escaped
and I wait for the cochineal to escape as well. We request aid
from Mirallas, assuring him that since his cargo has been saved
in the main he will be able to him back. My ship is at Palmar de
Ayz in 27 degrees 15 minutes and the boats should be sent here.
From here we can leave for the Capitana and Almiranta, which all
of them are on the coast at a difference of six leagues (I think
he means from Echeverz Real to Salmon's is six leagues- JH) and my
ship is the nearest on towards the Florida Keys. The salvage and
supply boats should come here first as it is the only anchorage
there is so that I can advise Salmon and all of the people when
they come. Because I am at the mouth of a river, this makes it
easier ..”
52. Santo Domingo 419 - Palmar, Lima to Mirallas, 9 Aug 1715.
"My ship is the only one that has salvaged something to
be sent to Havana. The vessels sent from Havana should land
here, and I will notify the Admiral to send the survivors of his
ship and the Capitana here to embark. Nothing has been salvaged
from those ships. I am at Palmar de Ayz in 27 degrees and 15
minutes at the mouth of a river."
53. Santo Domingo 419 - Real of Nuestra Senora de la Popa,
Echeverz to Mirallas, 24 Aug 1715.
53. (Continued)
"I will send many of my people to St Augustine in a
launch with what victuals we could recover and they will depart
tomorrow ...although my Capitana stayed intact it fell over on the
starboard side in such a way that we are unable to recover
anything from it. My Almiranta broke up in three pieces because
it hit upon some rocks .." (Believe from this letter that
Echeverz' Capitana did not hit any reef but sank in sand.)
54. Santo Domingo 419 - Order from King to Council of Indias, 16
June 1716.
The enclosed document is being sent to the Council for
it's information. The document has no date but reports that the
ship has arrived on the coast of Biscay (Spain), having left
Havana on 28 March 1716. One of the passengers of this ship was
the former Pilot of Ubilla's Almiranta and he reports the
following: He had taken part in the salvage and says 1,005 chests
of silver were recovered from the Capitana and 736 from the
Almiranta, not counting the gold nor pieces of fabricated
silverware. All has been taken-
Page 41.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA - TWENTY ONE
54. (Continued)
-to Havana to await shipment to Spain. From the Urca of Lima
everything has been salvaged, minus five percent of the losses and
costs.
55. Contaduria 892 - Vera Cruz, 16 April 1715.
Total amount of treasure belonging to the King which
was sent aboard Ubilla's Capitana and Almiranta was 1,005,705
pesos, which was registered, plus 169,111 pesos of unregistered
treasure for the payment of the salaries for the members of the
Council of the Indias.
56. Mexico 486-B - Vera Cruz, 4 May 1715.
See Pages 33-35 of Nancy's work for manifest of cargoes
placed on Ubilla's Capitana, Almiranta, Refuerzo, and Patache.
Important items carried on the Capitana were: Treasure
in coins and bars in 836 chests and loose sacks, valued at
2,559,917 pesos in treasure for private persons and 611,409 pesos
56. (Continued)
for the King. Other items for private persons were: 23 chests of
fabricated silverware, 70 plates of copper, four chests of
Chinese porcelain, and one small chest of gold bars, doubloons
and pearls.
Important items for the Almiranta were: 611,409 pesos
in treasure for the King, and for the private persons 836 chests
of coins plus some loose sacks and bars, valued at 2,076,004
pesos. Also on board were 139 plates of copper, 55 chests of
fabricated silverware, and 14 chests of Chinese porcelain.
Important items on the Refuerzo were: No Royal Treasure
at all, but 252,171 pesos in sacks and 81 chests of silver coins
for private persons. Also included were 13 chests of fabricated
silverware, 32 chests of Chinese porcelain, ten chests of Copal
(a type on incense which would survive in the water), and two
copper plates.
Important items on the Patache: No Royal Treasure.
Private treasure consisted of a value of 44,000 pesos in 12
chests and sacks, but it doesn't say if it was silver or what.
Also seven chests of Chinese porcelain.
57. Contratacion 640 - Cadiz, 1713.
The Patache of Echeverz, Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion,
must have been a much larger ship than normally used
for a Patache, because it carried a crew of 136, whereas the
Capitana of Echeverz carried 310 and his Almiranta only 178. The
San Miguel, which was sent direct to Havana, carried a crew of 62
men, but as it carried no marines this naturally cut down the
number in the crew.
58. Contratacion 640 - 17 Nov 1716.
Investigation was made into locating the Queen's jewels
which were sent by the President of the Audiencia of Guadalajara
aboard Ubilla's Capitana. They were not found during the salvage
operations.
PAGE 43.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA - TWENTY TWO
59. Contratacion 640 - Cadiz, Testimony of Armenta, 18 Nov 1716.
59. (Continued)
Armenta was responsible for the recovery of all the
treasure. He verified that the Queen’s jewels were put on
Ubilla’s Capitana but did not turn up during the salvage
operation ....according to law, jewels are not included in the
prorating the way coin and bullion is. (Guess that means it
wouldn’t be listed on any cargo manifests) ...some of the silver
recovered from the wrecks came up black.
60. Contratacion 640 - Testimony of Luaurriaga, Master of Silver
on Ubilla’s Almiranta, 18 Nov 1716.
He verifies that the Queen’s jewels were delivered to
Antonio de Potflis, Master of Silver on Ubilla’s Capitana, who
died in the disaster. The jewels were kept in Potflis’ chest of
clothing or his portable desk, neither of which turned up in the
salvage operations. He is sure, that because the currents in that
area, which are very strong, that the desk or chest of clothes
with the jewels were carried away like the serones or bags of
indigo and cochineal.
61. Contratacion 1274 - Cadiz, 1712.
NOTE: On register of the ship Nuestra Senora del
Regla, San Joseph y San Francisco Xavier, which was Ubilla’s
Capitana, it only gives the tonnage as 248 3/5s tons.
62. See Nancy’s Pages 41A to 42B for cargoes carried on Echeverz
ships.
63. Contratacion 4927 - 1716.
Chacon Medina brought back on his two ships from Havana
the following amounts of treasure which was salvaged from
Ubilla’s Flota: For the King 1,381,226 pesos, and for the
private persons (particulares) 3,659,940 pesos.
64. Escribania de Camera 55C - Armenta to Torres, 2 Sept 1715.
"...Balandra from St Augustine arrived on August 2nd,
but it was kept from sailing until today because we found the
hull of the Almiranta by dragging and started the salvage. The
master of silver has now 147 closed chests and about 80 to 90
thousand pesos in loose silver ...they will keep looking for the
Capitana .." In another letter from Alorbruru he states that bad
64. (Continued)
weather preventeo them from fino more treasure, though they hope
to finish with the Almiranta in two weeks time and then they will
pass to the Capitana.
PAGE 44.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA - TWENTY THREE
65. Escribania de Camara 55C - Havana, Torres to Armenta, 28
Sept 1715.
Miguel de Lima has told him that in the Real of the
Refuerzo there are Some jewels and treasure sent by the Viceroy
of New Spain for the Queen. The Governor asks Armenta to have
these sent at the earliest opportunity to Havana. Also, to help
Echeverz in the salvage of his Capitana, because of the Royal
Treasure it was carrying.
66. Escribania de Camara 55C - Real del Palmar de Ayz, Salmon to
Torres, 9 Sept 1715.
He is sending 700,000 pesos on this schooner. The
diving is very difficult for the divers as the water is always
dirty and rough. They haven't found the Capitana yet, because
they lack small vessels and the few they have are needed in the
salvage of the Almiranta.
67. Escribania de Camara 55C - Palmar, Joseph Clemente Fernandez
to Casa Torres, 10 Sept 1715.
To date they have recovered approximately 450 chests of
silver from the Almiranta. The whole salvage operations would
have been completed already if the chests weren't all buried
under the sand and many appeared as if cemented into the sand,
and if the water wasn't so rough and dirty; sometimes it appeared
like ink. He hopes to finish soon and then pass on to the
Capitana, but no one knows where it is. He requests ten or
twelve slaves and Indians to work as divers, as the white divers
are all fatigued because of the hard work.
68. Escribania de Camara 55C - Salmon to Torres.
A schooner arrived with the canoes he asked for and he
sent the schooner to Lima's Real to take on as many survivors
from that Real as the vessel can carry … He has ordered Clemente
68. (Continued)
to go the next day with the two canoes to locate the Capitana.
Few people escaped from the Capitana and those that did are in
such bad shape they cannot do sentry duty.
69. Escribania de Camara 55C - Havana, Torres to Salmon, 10 Oct
1715.
He has heard they found the hull (casco) of the
Capitana and already have recovered some treasure. He is sending
more divers and wants some sent to Echeverz Capitana to recover
His Majesty's treasure and a pearl of great value.
70. Escribania de Camara 55C - Havana, Torres to Armenta's
delegates, 10 Oct 1715.
In addition to the divers he first sent he is now
sending 40 more and will continue to send as many as he can find.
He tells them to salvage all the ships and especially the
Capitana of Echeverz because of the Royal treasure it was
carrying which was stored in the Cabins cabin. (Captain's Cabin-?- JH).
One chest contained a very valuable pearl.
PAGE 45.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA - TWENTY FOUR
71. Escribania de Camara 55C - Autos fechos sobre haver venido
sobre est as costas …. (See Nancy pp 51-56). Mainly about
English attack on salvor's site. I'll only extract most
important info concerning identification of wreck sites.
Havana, 13 Jan 1716, Testimony of Pedro de la Vega.
After coming down from St Augustine with mail for
Salmon he left the Reales (more than one) and when over the site
of Soto Sanchez' wreck, which was the Patache of the Flota, he met
two English ships which robbed him. He left the Reales at 7 pm
and reached the Patache site at 3 AM, which means it took him
eight hours to sail in his launcha. The trip from St Augustine
to the Real of Ubilla's Almiranta took him two days of sailing.
The following morning after being robbed at the Patache wreck
site he was captured off Key Biscayne by two other English
schooners and carried back to Palmar de Ayz. The following day
at 2 AM they landed men between the Reales of the Almiranta and
Capitana. They first robbed the Real of the Almiranta and then
marched south to rob the Real of the Capitana. (The documents do
not give the direction they marched, only that when they
approached the Real of the Capitana several Spaniards were seen
fleeing to the south- JH).
See Nancy page 52 for English salvaging the wrecks
after the Spaniards abandoned the Reales of Ubilla's Capitana and
Almiranta. Note: On Jan 29, 1716 Alonso de los Reyes mentions
that the English were also diving on Soto Sanchez' Patache site.
Palmar de Ayz, 4 Feb 1716, Captain Ayala Escobar to Torres.
He reached Palmar de Ayz on Feb 2nd with troops to
chase away the English who were then diving on Ubilla's Capitana
and Almiranta. Eight English schooners and one packet boat ran
away. On the mainland he located Juan Francisco de Porta with
all of his divers. Ayala landed troops, munitions, and supplies
at the Real of Ubilla's Capitana. They will go to the Real of
the Almiranta but this will be difficult as they have to march
three leagues. They have not started to dive again because of
the shortage of boats and other things.
Palmar, Eliza to Torres, 9 Feb 1716.
Porta reported to Eliza that the English had captured
80,000 pesos from them and had only recovered five or six
thousand pesos from the Almiranta and Capitana, and this with
some difficulty as they were unable to find the hulls of both
wrecks.
72. Escribania de Camara 55C - Havana, Armenta to King, 28 Oct
1715.
All of the main ships were broken into pieces and
wrecked at a distance of (one from another) 15 or 16 leagues.
The only one that remained intact was the Refuerzo (Lima's Urca)
under command of Rafael de Eliza on which I was sailing. Later
on it gradually filled with water so that the greater amount of
cargo in the hold was lost and then we set fire to the
hull ...many people drowned on the Capitana because as soon as it
hit bottom the first time it broke up in pieces. (Little wonder,
it was like running into the face of a cliff at 10 to 15 mph JH).
The rest of the ships did not suffer as bad a fate.
PAGE 46.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA - TWENTY FIVE
73. Escribania de Camara 55C - Havana, Casa Torres to King, 28
October 1715. (Nancy did not do this, see her page 55).
"On September 30th I sent an Advice Boat from Havana to
Spain in which I advised you of the fatal loss of Ubilla's Flota
and the Squadron of Echeverz. I also sent this same notice on
73. (Continued)
Sept 19th via France aboard the French ship Francisco ... I have
received the happy news that the hull of the Capitana was
discovered in two fathoms of water and they have begun diving on
this ship with good fortune and have already recovered some of
its treasures ..”
74. Escribania de Camara 55C - Havana, Salmon to Velasco, 22
March 1716.
Salmon stayed at Ayz more than three months, during
which time they were able to salvage all the Royal treasure and
part of the private treasure, altogether so far 5,200,000 pesos.
Since it is now winter the divers can't dive because it is cold.
The English stole 85,000 pesos.
75. Contratacion 1274 – 1712.
A list of all the munitions placed aboard Echeverz
Almiranta reveals there were 700 ten-pound cannonballs. (There
should be cannonballs all over the bottom out there off Sand
Point - JH).
76. Indiferente General 2658 - Cadiz, 17 July 1712.
At this time Echeverz had four ships in his Squadron
which were being prepared to sail:
Capitana El Carmen, San Miguel y San Antonio, which carried
72 cannon. It's keel was 72 1/2 codos long.
Almiranta Nuestra Senora del Rosario y San Francisco Xavier,
carrying 52 cannons.
Third Ship Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion y San Joseph,
carrying 42 cannon.
Fourth ship San Miguel, carrying 30 cannon and destined to
Havana (to pick up tobacco - JH).
77. Indiferente General 1276 - 1713.
The ship named Nuestra Senora del Rosario, before
called "Mars", was sold to Echeverz by a Frenchman. The ship was
English built of 52 iron cannon, 40 of which are mounted of
different caliber. The ship is of 312 tons (cargo capacity) and
it's length of keel is 54 codas, with the overall length of 60
codas (Probably taken at the dead rises - JH). The beam was 15
codas.
Note in the margin after #78. "See #80. in this list".
PAGE 47.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA - TWENTY SIX
79. Contratacion 2400 - Register of Nuestra Senora de la
Concepcion, Her Captain Diego Pablo Soliar, 1714.
Besides various products it carried 4,714 pesos in
three marked gold bars, 989 pesos 3 reales in one gold bar and
some doubloons, and 3,000 pesos in gold doubloons.
Echeverz Almiranta Nuestra Senora del Rosario of
Captain Pedro de Echeverz y Gonzales carried 15,366 pesos 10
maravedis in Royal Treasure, which was a third part of that being
sent to the King. The other two thirds was on Echeverz Capitana.
Echeverz wrote that he had been given 30,725 pesos 6
reales in doubloons and 309 castellanos 7 tomines 6 grain in gold
dust. Of this amount 3,727 pesos were placed on the Nuestra Senora
del Rosario.
Echeverz Almiranta carried the following amounts of
treasure belonging to private persons: 4,695 pesos 6 reales in
four gold bars, the remainder in doubloons; 3,546 pesos 5 reales
in two gold bars, the remainder in doubloons; 1,150 pesos in
doubloons; 2,000 pesos in gold doubloons; 5,238 pesos 3 1/2
reales in four gold bars and doubloons; and 175 pesos in silver
coins.
Echeverz Capitana Nuestra Senora del Carmen took on in
Cartagena the following treasure for private persons: 1,485 pesos
8 reales in silver coins; 3,250 pesos in gold doubloons; 13,924
pesos consisting of 21 gold bars and the remainder in doubloons;
three gold chains valued at 382 pesos; and silverware amounting
to 18 marcos and 5 1/2 ounces in weight.
80. Contratacion 640 - List of jewels sent to the Queen aboard
the Capitana of Ubilla's Flota, sent by the President of
Guadalajara, Mexico.
A. Two pair of gold earrings (drop earrings); one pair
was in 3 parts, the lower part being in the shape of a pineapple
with 129 pearls (very small ones); the other pair was smaller and
each had 38 small pearls and on one extremity there was a gold
amulet. Both pair weighed 3 and 1/16 ounces (total or each? -JH).
80. (Continued)
B. A rosary made of coral the size of chickpeas with
the "Our Father" in gold and with three small medals and a small
rose also of gold, weighing 3 1/16th ounces.
C. Two pearls in the shape of an almond, weighing 28
carats; another round pearl, weighing 8 carats; 98 inferior
pearls, much smaller in size.
D. A gold jewel in which it appears to have the image
of St. Clara.
E. Three gold rings, two plain and one with an
emerald.
PAGE 48.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA - TWENTY SEVEN
81. Indiferente General 2648 - Cadiz, Marques de Bolero to Diego
de Morales, 1 March 1716.
In a ship which has arrived from Havana and Santo
Domingo to Cadiz he was able to see a letter dated 29 Oct 1715
which was in the hand of a private person, from the master of a
ship. He stated that 136 chests were recovered of the 990 chests
on Ubilla's Almiranta (Note: Must be wrong here) and that 940
chests of the 1300 on the Capitana had been recovered, and all
had been taken to Havana. The Capitana of Ubilla's Flota sank in
3 1/2 fathoms and his Almiranta in 3 fathoms. (I believe one of
these depths is wrong as eye witness accounts place the Capitana
depth at 2 brazas. See page 43, #29- JH).
82. Duro, Armada Espanola - Vol IV, pp 121.
Of the 11 vessels a French one named Grifon managed to
escape; two sank into the sea; and eight foundered in the shoals
of Palmar de Ayz, which is near Cape Canaveral. The account
given by Pezuela in his Historia de Cuba is inaccurate, but
Dionicio de Alcedo says:
Ubilla's Capitana sank and burst open with the General and
225 persons drowned.
Ubilla's Almiranta, though it ran aground a stone's throw
from shore, lost 123 men because of the battering of the waves.
82. (Continued)
The Urca de Lima was stranded at the mouth of a river; 35 men
died on it.
The 1st Patache lost its deck, but the hull remained afloat:
25 people perished on it.
In the 2nd Patache 12 men drowned.
The Almirante of Echeverz was completely destroyed, with 124
men lost.
The Concepcion of Echeverz was totally wrecked, one of the
135 victims being it's Captain, Manuel de Echeverz, Don Antonio's
son.
La Holandesa of Echeverz Squadron was washed ashore.
La Francesa of Echeverz Squadron sank with everything on
board.
The San Miguel sank with everything on board.
83. Bernard Romans, pp. 273.
Places the Dutch wreck of the 1715 fleet laying in
three fathoms of water near the mouth of a river in 27 degrees
30 minutes. This would be Lima's Refuerzo, as an Urca is a Dutch
ship. (Not necessarily; Echeverz had a Dutch Prize- JH)
PAGE 49.
UBILLA'S CAPITANA - TWENTY EIGHT
84. Calender of State Papers., Colonial Series, America & West
Indies, Lt. Governor Spotswood of Virginia to Secretary
Stanhope, 24 Oct 1715.
"..that the Spanish fleet richly laden, consisting of
eleven sail are, except for one, lately cast away in the Gulf of
Florida to the southward of St Augustine ...a considerable
quantity of plate is likewise cast away about 40 miles to the
northward of St Augustine .."
85. Public Records Office, London (Kew Girdens) - Jamaica, Lord
Hamilton to ?, 26 April 1715 (Julian Calendar).
85. (Continued)
"...By late advises from the Havana I am told the
Galleons from Vera Cruz were daily expected there in order to
join two Spanish ships of war, one of which was the Hampton
Court, who are said to have great treasures on board for old
Spain .. "
86. National Maritime Museum - Page five from the Dimension book
“B”.
Hampton Court - Length of gun deck 150 feet 6 inches;
length of keel 125 feet 6 inches; Beam 40 feet one inch; Depth of
Draft 17 feet 3 inches; burden 1072 tons; carried 70 guns;.
captured by the Dunkirk Squadron (French) in 1707.
87. Vatican Archives Document -
Ubilla's Capitana wrecked it's bottom after the 3rd
time it was battered against the land, the waves carrying with
them the returning pieces ...which sank in 3 1/2 fathoms of water.
The Almiranta broke in half and left it's bottom in 3
fathoms of water.
The Urca, as has been said, moored between two reefs
and would have been saved if in the 1st storm it hadn't lost it's
foremast and this hadn't gotten entangled in the keel ...so it
split and filled with water. It's silver has been recovered and
so has the major part of it's cargo.
The Patache of Soto Sanchez splintered and a little
silver was saved and it is thought the rest will be recovered.
The small frigate of General Ubilla was lost with it's
cargo.
Of the six ships of Echeverz, 400 people drowned.
Of the silver, it is said nothing will be lost.
88. Santo Domingo 419 -
From going over microfilm of this legajo I found that
Nancy missed an important point in letter of 5 Aug 1715, from
Armenta to Torres (See Nancy page 23). Armenta signed the letter
and stated that he was at Ayz in 27d 10m latitude. Mystery as to
why he would have been down there. (Note in the margin says:
"Mystery solved. He sailed in Lima's ship")
89. Santo Domingo 419 - Salmon to Torres, 24 Aug 1715.
In this he states that Lima's Refuerzo was ten leagues
from his Almiranta and for this reason the people off Lima's
wreck have not been brought to this Real. (See Nancy, pp 25).