Divers
surveying the
'Satisfaction' - Henry Morgan's flagship
In 1671, Pirate, Captain
Henry Morgan lost five ships off the coast of
Panama. In 2011, some 340 years later, Texas
University,
working with NOAA
and others, found a clutch of cannons, using a magnetometer,
that turned out to be associated with the remains of a
wooden hull.
FOX NEWS 8 JANUARY 2015 - WRECK OF CAPTAIN MORGAN'S PIRATE SHIP FOUND, ARCHAEOLOGISTS SAY
The lost wreckage of a ship belonging to 17th century pirate Captain Henry Morgan has been discovered in Panama, said a team of U.S. archaeologists
- and the maker of Captain Morgan rum.
Near the Lajas Reef, where Morgan lost five ships in 1671 including his flagship "Satisfaction," the team uncovered a portion of the starboard side of a wooden ship's hull and a series of unopened cargo boxes and chests encrusted in coral.
The cargo has yet to be opened, but Captain Morgan USA -- which sells the spiced rum named for the eponymous pirate
- is clearly hoping there's liquor in there.
"There's definitely an irony in the situation," Fritz Hanselmann, an archaeologist with the River Systems Institute and the Center for Archaeological Studies at Texas State University and head of the dive team, told KVUE Austin. The Captain Morgan rum group stepped in on the quest for Captain Morgan after the team
- which found a collection of iron cannons nearby - ran out of funds before they could narrow down the quest.
The new funding let the team run a magnetometer survey, which looks for metal by finding any deviation in the earth's magnetic field.
"When the opportunity arose for us to help make this discovery mission possible, it was a natural fit for us to get involved. The artifacts uncovered during this mission will help bring Henry Morgan and his adventures to life in a way never thought possible," said Tom Herbst, brand director of Captain Morgan USA, in a statement.
In the 17th century, Captain Henry Morgan sailed as a privateer on behalf of England, defending the Crown's interests and pioneering expeditions to the New World. In 1671, in an effort to capture Panama City and loosen the stronghold of Spain in the Caribbean, Morgan set out to take the Castillo de San Lorenzo, a Spanish fort on the cliff overlooking the entrance to the Chagres River, the only water passageway between the Caribbean and the capital city.
Although his men ultimately prevailed, Morgan lost five ships to the rough seas and shallow reef surrounding the fort.
The underwater research team included archaeologists and divers from Texas State University, volunteers from the National Park Service's Submerged Resources Center and NOAA/UNC-Wilmington's Aquarius Reef Base. And pirate booty or no, they said the story of Captain Henry Morgan was the real treasure.
"To us, the ship is the treasure -- the story is the treasure," Hanselman told MSNBC's Alan Boyle. "And you don't have a much better story than Captain Henry Morgan's sack of Panama City and the loss of his five ships."
Artifacts excavated by the dive team in 2010, including the six cannons, as well as any future relics will remain the property of the Panamanian government and will be preserved and displayed by the Patronato Panama Viejo.
WALES ONLINE 11 AUGUST 2011 - PIRATE
SIR HENRY MORGAN'S FLAGSHIP THE 'SATISFACTION' HAS LAIN ON
THE SEABED FOR 340 YEARS
Remains of infamous Welsh pirate Henry Morgan’s ship finally found after 340 years
Sand and mud have swept through the wreck until just two inches of its hull were visible.
But archaeologists found the Welshman’s prize vessel in waters off Panama in the nick of time.
The US-led team, which earlier this year found six iron cannons believed to be from Morgan’s once powerful fleet, said it was like chancing upon a “needle in a haystack”.
Divers have now found wreckage including about 52ft by 22ft of a 17th-century wooden hull’s starboard side.
It contains numerous unopened cargo boxes and several large coral-encrusted chests – but, as yet, has yielded no treasure.
Believed to have been born in Llanrumney, Cardiff, in 1635, Sir Henry sailed to the
Caribbean as a young soldier.
Although widely known as a pirate, he was in fact a privateer, having the backing of the English crown to terrorise the Spanish.
After gathering enough money to captain his own ship he eventually became the “admiral” of a fleet of privateer ships, plundering wealthy Spanish cities in the Americas, seizing islands, fighting battles, boarding treasure ships and earning a fortune.
The 17th century Welsh buccaneer’s legend lived on in books and films such as the 1935 Swashbuckler Captain Blood, starring Errol Flynn, loosely based on Morgan’s life.
And he is one of the inspirations of the Hollywood blockbuster series
Pirates of the
Caribbean.
His name also became popularised by the spiced rum brand named after him, the bottles featuring a dashing gentleman pirate.
His crew may have been on the rum when Sir Henry lost all five ships in 1671, including the
'Satisfaction,' during an attempt to capture a fort, Castillo de San Lorenzo, near Panama City.
The Spanish fort was on a cliff overlooking the entrance to the Chagres
River, the only water passageway between the Caribbean and Panama.
While Sir Henry and his men ultimately succeeded in taking the fort, his ships were lost in rough waters at the Lajas Reef until, it appears, now.
The research team, which is working at the Lajas Reef off Panama, is led by archaeologists and divers from Texas State University.
One of the research team leaders, Fritz Hanselmann, an archaeologist with the River Systems Institute and the Centre for Archaeological Studies at the university, said: “For us the real
treasure is the shipwrecks themselves, which can give us the ability to accurately tell the story of a legendary historical figure like Captain Henry Morgan.
“Discoveries of this nature allow us to study these artefacts and teach others what life was like for these famous privateers more than 300 years ago.”
Sir Henry and his men “inadvertently” burned Panama to the ground in violation of a treaty between Britain and Spain.
But in keeping with his privateer status Captain Morgan was eventually forgiven by
King Charles II for his “carelessness” and was sent to Jamaica where he became Lieutenant- Governor.
Shortly before his death in Jamaica in August 1688 he was diagnosed with “Dropsie” but may have contracted tuberculosis on a visit to London.
It is also thought possible he may have had liver failure due to his notorious heavy drinking.
He was buried in Jamaica in Palisadoes
cemetery, which sank beneath the sea after a 1692
earthquake.
The Captain Morgan rum brand now produced by Diageo has part funded the work to recover Morgan’s fleet.
Mr Hanselmann said: “There’s definitely irony in that situation.”
He added: “To us, the ship is the treasure – the story is the
treasure.
“And you don’t have a much better story than Captain Morgan’s sack of Panama City and the loss of his five ships.”
Artifacts excavated by the dive team including the six cannons, as well as any future relics, will remain the property of the Panamanian government and will be preserved and displayed by the Patronato Panama Viejo, a government agency.
ABC NEWS 9 AUGUST 2011 - PIRATE HENRY MORGAN'S LONG-LOST SHIP UNEARTHED
Landlubbers can now peek into the time during which the plundering pirate lived.
Aug. 9, 2011— -- It was a pirate's life for Admiral
Henry Morgan and now landlubbers can get a peek into the time during which the plundering privateer lived. Archaeologists have uncovered what they believe to be the Welshman's flagship.
An underwater archeological team consisting of divers from Texas State University, volunteers from the National Park Service's Submerged Resources Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/University of North Carolina-Wilmington's Aquarius Reef Base set off for the Chagres River in Central Panama. Using a magnetometer to help them scour the ocean floor for iron remains, they spotted a slight piece of ship hull in the sand.
"It was like looking for a needle in a haystack," said Frederick "Fritz" Hanselmann, chief underwater archaeologist and dive training officer with the River Systems Institute/Aquarena Center at Texas State University.
He was not exaggerating. Only about 2 inches of the hull were sticking up but after further excavation, the team found a ship hull and several
wooden chests 2 feet into the mud and clay, leading them to believe that they had found Morgan's ship, "Satisfaction," dating back to 1671. It is the first successful archeological excavation in that area.
While Hanselmann is fairly positive that he won't find any gold or
jewels, for him and the team, the history is the biggest "booty" they could have hoped for.
"The treasure is the history," Hanselmann said. "Everything we do is not for profit."
Not that they needed the money. The company that was made famous using Morgan's image, Captain Morgan's Rum, put up a substantial amount of money to back the dig, Hanselmann said.
Tom Herbst, brand manager for Captain Morgan's Rum, said in a statement. "When the opportunity arose for us to help make this discovery mission possible, it was a natural fit for us to get involved," he said. "The artifacts uncovered during this mission will help bring Henry Morgan and his adventures to life in a way never thought possible."
Captain Morgan's Rum has long used the image of the swashbuckling pirate as a mascot for its brand. Movies such as Disney's "The
Pirates of the
Caribbean" have portrayed pirates as a bloodthirsty lot, hungry for loot, power and, of course, the occasional pint.
But researchers say Morgan did not entirely fit such a disparaging depiction.
Morgan was hired by the British government to protect its colonies in the Americas. He traversed the seas, taking down anything that might harm British interests. Commander of a huge fleet, Morgan had 36 ships, about 1,900 men and about 240 cannons in tow.
He was traveling inbound to the fort of Castillo de San Lorenzo at the mouth of the Chagres River to try and loosen Spain's monopoly in the
Caribbean where he ran into rocky waters and sank Satisfaction along with four other
ships. But his career didn't end there. He went on to become the lieutenant governor of Jamaica and died a natural death in 1688.
"He was probably the most successful to enjoy his ill-gotten gains," said Dominique Rissolo, executive director of the Waitt Institute, a nonprofit research organization based in La Jolla, Calif.
Rissolo was part of a 2010 team that uncovered six cannons in the same area that led to the discovery of the ship. The cannons, along with the most recent findings, will go to Panama's National Institute of Culture.
The search is not over for the team. Rissolo said that the excavations are part of an ongoing collaboration with Panama to ensure the preservation of Panama's culture and learn a little bit more about Morgan.
While popular depictions of a mercenary Morgan might not be completely correct, Rissolo said, one stereotype rings true.
"He died a rich and inebriated man," he said.
JOHN
STORM'S TREASURE SHIP DISCOVERY
In
this fictional series of John
Storm adventures, our marine conservationist discovers a
wreck, believed to have belonged to Henry Morgan, privateer.
On that wreck John discovers a haul of gold and silver. And
chests full of precious stones; diamonds, rubies, emeralds
and others laden with pearls.
Though
Hal, the AI on the Elizabeth Swann, notes the position of
the wreck carefully, John does not have a record of that
location in his written Ship's Log. According to marine
salvage law, he is under no obligation to disclose any
information as to the contents of a vessel that he cannot be
sure of. Indeed, John does not have time to try and locate
the rightful owner(s) of any part of the cargo, let alone
conduct a detailed inventory, to even begin such a mammoth
task. Even the ownership of the sunken vessel is not known
for sure. And John did not conduct a dive survey, by
himself, or working with any other organization.
John
had contacted several nations with a view to them helping
fund excavations and recovery should he find the lost
treasure of any pirate operating in the Caribbean. These
communications including negotiations for a finders fee,
under treasure trove law. But, those nations refused to
reciprocate. Instead, they demanded information from him,
and tried to board his ship in international waters. To no
avail, the Swann is designed to repel all unauthorized personnel,
thanks to his
Wizard uncle, Professor Storm.
Regardless
of the legal obstacles, several claims are filed against the adventurer, by Jamaica,
Panama, Spain and United Kingdom, by way of SLAPP actions,
hoping to get lucky, but none can be substantiated.
The Courts eventually ruling in favour of John
Storm, and their claims struck out as being worthless,
the Claimant's demonstrating no Locus Standi, when
challenged. John vanquishes the pretenders, with the able
assistance of George
Franks, of Swindles & Gentry, Solicitors, Melbourne,
Australia. The Court awards substantial sums to be paid to
John Storm, against what can only be described as a
prosecution laden with malicious intent, by way of a Wasted
Costs Order. Court's do not like time wasters, or those who
abuse due process. Nobody is above the law!
The
latent prospect of criminal charges lurked in the
background, against smuggling, or damaging an archaeological
site. George advised John to stake a claim to the site with
clear markers, similar to conducting a survey, but not to
affix anything to the shipwreck, that could be construed as
causing damage. Then to take copious photographs to
establish the date, to a legal standard. That set the clock
ticking as to any statutes of limitations. Any state
considering criminal proceedings, would of course have to
find the site, before expiration.
As
to the matter of smuggling, John was advised that he may
need to establish the country of origin of the items, to ask
them if they would consider return to any known owner, as a
contraband offence. Typically, the owners of valuables or
shipwrecks, would be the insurers, if claims had been made.
The other matter to tend to, was to identify countries that
do not impose such harsh penalties against honest
exploration and recovery. Of which, it seemed there were
many. But to John's surprise, many nations were happy to
award significant sums, just to have heritage items returned
to them. In some cases, they allowed the finder to keep the
valuables, in return for the location and archaeological
survey of the/any historic site.
Generally,
it is not about the money. And, "finders-keepers,"
is a rule applied to those informed enough to be in a secure
bargaining position, upfront, not retrospectively, or
covertly. The statute of limitations on found and recovered
property (goods and chattels), to establish a possessory
title was held to be six years. For land belonging to the
Crown onshore, it is twelve years. For land offshore and
shorelines (beaches), it is twenty to forty years. Clearly,
a major obstacle to progress.
You
are advised to seek independent legal advice, before
embarking on any treasure hunting quest. In John's case, the
Court declared that in the interests of increasing man's
knowledge, that provided there was no criminal damage, and
that normal excavation precautions were taken, with a good
percentage of recovered items being donated (or offered) to
the appropriate quarter, that no criminal charges should be preferred.
So creating a kind of international common law, based on
common sense, taking into account the enormous operating
expenses, investment and daring of ocean entrepreneurs.
REFERENCE
https://www.foxnews.com/science/wreck-of-capt-morgans-pirate-ship-found-archaeologists-say
https://abcnews.go.com/International/captain-morgans-long-lost-pirate-ship-unearthed/story?id=14261866
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/remains-infamous-welsh-pirate-henry-1815546
https://www.foxnews.com/science/wreck-of-capt-morgans-pirate-ship-found-archaeologists-say
https://abcnews.go.com/International/captain-morgans-long-lost-pirate-ship-unearthed/story?id=14261866
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/remains-infamous-welsh-pirate-henry-1815546
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