the real 1715 wreck in nassau sound - not the SAN MIGUEL - but a recovery bark

[ivan salis]

many famous folks think that the 1715 era vessel sunk in nassau sound off AMELIA ISLAND was the missing NAO SAN MIGUEL -- from the 1715 fleet .

However a closer inspection of PS at the bottom of the letter that the Virginia Govenor Spotswod to British Sec. Stanhope letter of Oct 24rh of 1715 -- clearly states that a Bark* that was sent from havana to the 1715 wrecksite to rescue important persons also took on a good bit of silver as well and that it was lost about 40 miles to the northward of St Augustine --- being it was sent to the wrecksite it must have NOT been part of the Original 1715 fleet---- but it still was carrying treasure from the fleet treasure that had been recovered from their wrecks, --- this treasure is "twice sunk" -- poor buggers those VIP people to survive the first 1715 hurricane disaster only to die in nassau sound a short while later.

A Spanish letter from Cuba to the Viceroy of Mexico dated Oct 19th,1715 says "according to reports recieved from St Augustine wreckage of a large vessel or vessels was found 15 leagues to the leeward of this port " (St Augustine)
using 2.6 miles per league 15 leagues --that comes to 39 miles and by refering to the english letter above "leeward" is north.

historically valid govt letters from highly placed persons in both the ENGLISH and SPANISH GOVERMENTS from 1715 -- both say theres a wreck ----39 to 40 miles to the northward of St Augustine-- in nassau sound , fla --off Amelia Island

PLUS ---- a BARK is a very differant vessel than a NAO

 

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[Chagy]

Maybe this is were your VIP pasangers came from......

The Carmen carried a number of wealthy passengers on their way back to Spain . It is likely that these passengers carried items in their luggage not declared on the manifest (contraband). This is supported by the fact that several recovered items from the site are not listed on the manifest.

P.S. dont forget to give Salvor007 credit for solving the mystery of your Amelia wreck...

 

[ivan salis]

oh yes indeed ---once salvor 007 posted a copy of the passage that I read years ago ---- and as I reread again I did noticed the key word ---- "barkalonga *" ----ie a bark* ---thus it could not be the NAO SAN MIGUEL of the 1715 fleet as many before had said it was ---- suddenly I thought --- DING DING and THE LIGHTS CAME ON---wait a minute ----- and upon carefully rereading again it --the truth became clear --- that it was a totally differant vessel that was sent AFTER the 1715 fleet wrecked --a VIP rescuer and wealth recovery ship ---and that it had wrecked in nassau sound .

 

[mad4wrecks]

Re: the real 1715 wreck in nassau sound - not the SAN MIGUEL - but a recovery b

Salvor007 is a righteous dude

 

[FISHEYE]

Re: the real 1715 wreck in nassau sound - not the SAN MIGUEL - but a recovery b

If there were no survivors on this BARK wreck.How would anyone know that it sank.The people on the BARK could have tossed stuff overboard to make it look like wreckage and sailed off somewhere else an not spain.To enjoy thier riches.Its true that dead men tell no tales.

 

[mad4wrecks]

Re: the real 1715 wreck in nassau sound - not the SAN MIGUEL - but a recovery b

I think the wreckage was spotted by some sentinels from St Augustine, or maybe some indians alerted the garrison. They Spanish knew that a bark, loaded with royal officials, clergy and other VIP and wealthy passengers (and some recovered treasure) was headed back to Spain after the disaster.

By 1715, there were a number of small outposts and indian villages from St Augustine north towards Charleston.

 

[ivan salis]

well in 1715 there was a small spanish settlement * nearby at what is modern day Mayport , Florida (at the mouth of what is now the St John's River) --the ship wreckage (most likely her broken hull and / or some of her deck works that washed ashore ) might have been reported by them or by passing vessels to local spanish officals who passed it on to St Augustine -- spies most likely tipped off the english or else it was spotted by english vessels as well --- the spanish report says it is feared there was no survivors due to the reefs ( nassau sound has a lots of oyster shell bed type "reefs" and even today has a lot of bull and hammerhead sharks --both who would happily eat shipwrecked VIP types --who would have bleeding and hurt and stugglingwhile trying to swim to shore after being badly bashed around and horribly cut by the sharp edged oyster bed reefs --- plus almost all of the people in those days did not know how to swim (even the seamen) --- Ivan

PS there is a map from Nov of 1769 that shows a wrecksite in nassau sound ---made by an english capt named william fuller --* the wreck is the only one noted at all on the map and is the correct area (nassau sound) and at the proper distance (39 to about 40 miles north of St Augustine) plus there is the fact that long ago before the nassau sound area was turned into an "aquatic preserve zone" my pop and I found spanish silver coins on the beach there when I was a kid -- (pop was a beach metal detectorist --but later times got tough and pop sold all of the coins that he found for just their silver value (pops been dead for a number of years now sadly ) --if he had only known what I now know!!! those coins would not have gone so cheaply. Ivan