The Richest Shipwreck in the World

Daryl Friesen

Sr. Member
Mar 21, 2003
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Vancouver,British Columbia
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Hello,

I found the following story in my archives and I thought I would share it with you. PLease tell me what you think.

Sincerley,
Daryl Friesen

The Richest Shipwreck in World by Daryl Friesen

It was the year 1503 when the Commander Alfonso de Albuquerque of the Florde la Mar set sail from Lisbon Portugal. Followed by his fleet of twenty two ships on a mission to plunder the riches of the East Indies for the Portuguese Empire. His first conquest would be the southeast coast of Mozambique, Africa. From there he would work his way up the coast of the great continent plundering everything in his path.

He then moved on to India raping and pillaging everything in his path. On his journey he made stops in Thailand and Burma sparing no one and robbing them of there riches as well until the hauls of his ships where bulging with the loot of conquest.

On August 8,1511 Alfonso's fleet anchored his armada in the Port of the ancient city of Malacca located on the Malay Peninsula. At this time Malacca was known as one of the richest cities in the world. Its harbor was filled with ships from all ports of the ancient world trading valuable goods of all kinds. From shining jewels to exotic animals to gold bullion everything was up for trade in the Port of Malacca back in 1511. And that is why Alfonso de Albuquerque and his army decided to lay siege to the city it would be the greatest prize of there bloody conquest.

After twelve days of bloody battle thousands of people lye slaughtered in the streets under the blades of the Alfonso's army, the city at his feet in ruin. The Malays surrounded and Alfonso claimed the city as part of the Portuguese empire and it would remain in Portuguese control until 1641.

Until such time as it would be recaptured by the Dutch.
The amount of treasure that was accumulated by Alfonso's army was
staggering. He accumulated over sixty tons in gold booty melted into all kinds of forms animals, furniture, bullion everything you can imagine.

This treasure came from the House of the Sultan of Malacca alone. He also accumulated 200 gem filled chests full of diamonds, rubies and emeralds.The treasure he looted would be worth billions of dollars on today's markets. Alfonso then place most of this treasure on the Flora del la Mar.

The other treasure was packed on three of his other vessels along with the other loot from his eight year conquest. In late December of 1511, Alfonso was convinced that the colony he had established was now flushing and decided to set sail for Portugal.

When he did he left with four ships all bulging under the weight of there treasure laden cargos. He ordered the remaining ships of his fleet to stay behind to guard the city of Malacca. The Flora del la Mar was fated never to see the Ports of Portugal ever again.

As Alfonso made his way out into the sea. His small treasure fleet was overcome by a storm which took two of his treasure ships to the bottom of the ocean with none of the crew surviving. As for the Flora del la Mar it struck a reef just of the northeastern tip of the island of Sumatra near the entrance to the the straights of Malacca.

Alfonso was able to jump into one of the lifeboats along with five of his officers. Most of the other sailors on the ship went to a watery grave. Alfonso promised those where still alive as he sailed away that he would return with help but that would not be the case. He was picked up by the only remaining ship of his fleet and instead of returning for the survivors of his crew. He set sail with his remaining treasure for Portugal leaving the Flora de la Mar to flounder on the reef. It was eventually bashed to pieces by the pounding waves. Three of the floundering crew managed to survive and swim to shore. When local divers and fisherman got word of the sinking they waited for the storm to pass and headed back out to the wreck site.

But they where to late there was nothing left of the ship or her crew. They where able to salvage some small pieces of the cargo that was in the shallower waters on the reef but by the time they arrived the haul of the wrecked vessel containing most of the precious cargo had fallen off the reef into 120 feet of water where it would sit for the rest of time.

As for Alfonso he made his way back to Portugal with his remaining loot and the wreck of the Flora de la mar was forgotten. One of the officers who got off the wreck with Alfonso was said to have made a chart of the wrecks location. Years later the chart was found by treasure hunter Robert Marx back in the 1960s but that is different story. The wreck of the Flora
De la mar as far as I know is still resting where it went down waiting for the day when some lucky treasure hunter will bring its billion dollar cargo back into the light of day.

Thanks
Daryl Friesen
www.spindlequest.com/mineintro.html
 

Alexandre

Bronze Member
Oct 21, 2009
1,047
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Lisbon
This is from João de Barros, who wrote in 1553 the "Década Segunda da Ásia" (book VII, chapter I):



Of the things, that the Portuguese have done in the discovery, and conquest of the lands, and seas the East after the departure of Afonso d’ Alboquerque from Malaca, until his arrival at the Straight of the Purple Sea


How Afonso d’ Alboquerque departed from the City of Malaca, how he got shipwrecked in the Aru shoals in the Çamatra coast: and having himself, and the people rescued, how he went again to his course after having taken two naos until he arrived in Cochim.



Between all things of great admiration, that this own conquest of the East has (and a lot to be tought over, with a wise mind), is that (besides having to fight in war, now and then with , with men from so many nations, and creeds, as in it exists) we have an eternal feud with the elements, that are the most vicious, wild and strong things that God has ever created, and up to this day we haven’t seen anything like it in no nation.

Even if we have read about the wars of the Persians, of the Greek, and of the Romans, or of any other nation of our Europe (where there have been great danger in the clashes of the opponent armies, in hunger, in thirst, in the workings of a long siege, in cold, in the harshness of the Sun in the variation of the weather, in climatic conditions, in the great diseases by the corruption of the air, or of the supplies, and any other of the thousand different kind of accidents that lead to death) all this dangers and efforts are thrown upon our Portuguese people in their navigations, and conquests.

And over all they fight against the anger of the wind, the strenght of the sea, the harshness of the land, fearing their shoals, and encounters; and, finally they have their life, and death in such short notice, kept by no more than three fingers of worm eaten timber, and in the careless dropping of a candle in a place easily consumable by fire, or in some more particular ways, and minor details, from which springs a huge affair, as we see in such great number of lost naos.

In every one of those we can state, that a very noble village of the Kingdom is lost in the wealth of goods, and in the nobility of the people. And what we have more to mourn, is that all these men are returning from those Eastern parts (having escaped the fire, and the sword of so many Moors, and Gentiles, that in those parts are inhabitants), bringing the naos ladden with their ransacking; and just only one of those said small dangers will throw everything into the abyss of the great Ocean, the largest grave there is of the Portuguese men, since they have started their discoveries.

Of this said truth we will see an excelent example em which Afonso d’Alboquerque, (after having departed from Malaca, with the naos ladden with the triumphs that they had taken from the city) navigating so far away as to reach the Kingdom of Aru, where they call it the Timia point , that is located in the Çamatra Island, one night drove his nao right on top of a flat shoal, barely covered by water, where she broke up immediately in two pieces, one the bow, the other the stern, (because the nao was very old, and the seas were rough).
Being in the said danger with the people on one part of the ship without communication with the people on the other part, so they couldn’t be of any help to each other, nor they could have had any help from the other naos because it was dark, (and everyone had to take care of themselves), Diniz Fernandes ordered that a raft should be made, and they went into it till the other day, when (with great effort) Pero d’Alpoem, (that was following the wake of the Capitão mór) rescued him in a small boat from his ship, and also other people that were rescued with him, with great effort, and danger.

In the said time Afonso d’Alboquerque, (although he had said many memorable sentences, like Caesar said in his shipwreck) only rescued a little girl, (daughter of one of his female slaves, that had come towards his hand), saying, that as that innocent soul had come to him for salvation,so he would take her innocence into salvation; and being always on his feet, he had her in his arms rescueing nothing but her (of the great wealth of Malaca that was on board of that nao). And what he mourned more, of all of the lost cargo of that nao, were the lions (made of melted iron), a very superior work, and natural like, that the King of China had sent as a gift to the King of Malaca, having the said lions been kept in his honour, at the door of the palace of King Mahamed, and Afonso d’Alboquerque was bringing them as the master piece of his triumph and conquest of the city (...)
 

conqistador

Jr. Member
Jun 17, 2007
22
3
bratislava
up to my information, position of this ship is known for many years.But there is extremly big problem!Hungry goverments!Ship is laying in international water and at least 2 of gov.says:ship and cargo is our.There are at least 2 military ships at this area for protection of the ship against enemy(gov.of neighbour state),treasure hunters,etc.And portugal gov. is waiting as a third side.This is problem for hundreds years
 

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