- PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - New
research has doubled the number of wrecks of Spanish, Portuguese and British
Conquest-era galleons, some laden with treasure, thought to be scattered
along Panama's seabeds, the National Culture Institute said on Monday.
-
- Some 30 wrecks were initially believed to be lying off
Panama's Pacific and Caribbean coasts, but now researchers say there are
as many as 59 sunken galleons, according to Panama's de factor Culture
Minister Rafael Ruiloba, who heads the institute.
-
- "New historical documents and deep water reconnaissance
have helped us greatly to improve our knowledge in recent months of the
whereabouts of the wrecks," Ruiloba told Reuters.
-
- Wrecks recently located include those from the fleet
of a 17th-century Scottish adventurer William Paterson, who founded the
disastrous colony of New Edinburgh in Panama in 1698.
-
- Attempts to set up a Scottish colony were ruined by tropical
fevers and dissension among settlers, at a cost of some 2,000 lives.
-
- Earlier this year Panama located the sunken San Jose
galleon off its Pacific coast. The San Jose, which foundered in 1631, is
filled with 700 tons of gold and silver ingots valued at some $50 million.
-
- Interest in Spanish wrecks resurfaced after vacationers
diving off Panama's Caribbean coast last November chanced across the shell
of the Vizcaina, a ship that was part of the fleet used by Christopher
Columbus on his final voyage to the Americas in 1501.
-
- During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, Panama served
as a key point for gold and silver shipments between the mines of Peru
and imperial Spain.
-
- Many galleons sank in the choppy waters of the Pacific
before their booty could be offloaded in Panama City and moved overland
to Caribbean ports. British pirates often attacked ships leaving the Caribbean
ports for Spain.
-
-
-
- Copyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited
without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable
for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance
thereon.
(Reuters) - New research has doubled the number of wrecks of Spanish, Portuguese
and British Conquest-era galleons, some laden with treasure, thought to
be scattered along Panama's seabeds, the National Culture Institute said
on Monday.
-
- Some 30 wrecks were initially believed to be lying off
Panama's Pacific and Caribbean coasts, but now researchers say there are
as many as 59 sunken galleons, according to Panama's de factor Culture
Minister Rafael Ruiloba, who heads the institute.
-
- "New historical documents and deep water reconnaissance
have helped us greatly to improve our knowledge in recent months of the
whereabouts of the wrecks," Ruiloba told Reuters.
-
- Wrecks recently located include those from the fleet
of a 17th-century Scottish adventurer William Paterson, who founded the
disastrous colony of New Edinburgh in Panama in 1698.
-
- Attempts to set up a Scottish colony were ruined by tropical
fevers and dissension among settlers, at a cost of some 2,000 lives.
-
- Earlier this year Panama located the sunken San Jose
galleon off its Pacific coast. The San Jose, which foundered in 1631, is
filled with 700 tons of gold and silver ingots valued at some $50 million.
-
- Interest in Spanish wrecks resurfaced after vacationers
diving off Panama's Caribbean coast last November chanced across the shell
of the Vizcaina, a ship that was part of the fleet used by Christopher
Columbus on his final voyage to the Americas in 1501.
-
- During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, Panama served
as a key point for gold and silver shipments between the mines of Peru
and imperial Spain.
-
- Many galleons sank in the choppy waters of the Pacific
before their booty could be offloaded in Panama City and moved overland
to Caribbean ports. British pirates often attacked ships leaving the Caribbean
ports for Spain.
-
-
-
- Copyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited
without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable
for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance
thereon.
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