When the diver returned to the surface he
reported that he had seen a number of brass cannon lying tangled among
the sea-weed on a ledge. That was enough. Inspired with the greatest
enthusiasm, diver after diver plunged below to be the first to discover
the treasure, and ere long one of them brought up an ingot of silver
worth several hundred pounds. Transported with success they left a buoy
to mark the spot, and made all sail to carry the glad tidings to Phips.
He would not credit the tale until he had seen the ingot, when he
exclaimed, "Thanks be to God, we are all made!"
Every man was at once enlisted in the service of fishing for the
treasure. The bullion was discovered first; after that, in the bottom
of the hold, the sea-miners found the coin in bags, which had been so
long under water that they were encrusted with a stony shell, hard as
rock. This was broken with crowbars, revealing gold, jewels, and
"pieces of eight," in glittering abundance. The last day's work brought
to light twenty massive silver ingots, and the whole amount recovered
was somewhat over three hundred thousand pounds, a sum equal in the
values of our time to five millions of dollars.
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