d down with the sunken ship,
he would have wealth and position in the colony. With these two allies
at his command, the task of securing a command in the king's navy
would be an easy one. But to seek out the sunken treasure required a
ship and seamen. Clearly his own slender means could never meet the
demands of so great an undertaking. Therefore, gathering together all
his small savings, William Phipps set sail for England, in the hopes
of interesting capitalists there in his scheme. By dint of indomitable
persistence, the unknown American ship-carpenter managed to secure the
influence of certain officials of high station in England, and finally
managed to get the assistance of the British admiralty. A frigate,
fully manned, was given him, and he set sail for the West Indies.

Once arrived in the waters of the Spanish Main, he began his search.
Cruising about the spot indicated by his seafaring informant as the
location of the sunken vessel, sounding and dredging occupied the time
of the treasure-seekers for months. The crew, wearying of the
fruitless search, began to murmur, and signs of mutiny were rife.
Phipps, filled with thoughts of the treasure for which he sought, saw
not at all the lowering looks, nor heard the half-uttered threats, of
the crew as he passed them. But finally the mutiny so developed that
he could no longer ignore its existence.

It was then the era of the buccaneers. Doubtless some of the crew had
visited the outlaws' rendezvous at New Providence, and had told their
comrades of the revelry and ease in which the sea robbers spent their
days. And so it happened that one day, as Phipps stood on the
quarter-deck vainly trying to choke down the nameless fear that had
begun to oppress him,--the fear that his life's venture had proved a
failure,--his crew came crowding aft, armed to the teeth, and loudly
demanded that the captain should abandon his foolish search, and lead
them on a fearless buccaneering cruise along the Spanish Main. The
mutiny was one which might well have dismayed the boldest sea captain.
The men were desperate, and well armed. Phipps was almost without
support; for his officers, by their irresolute and timid demeanor,
gave him little assurance of aid.

Standing on the quarter-deck, Phipps listened impatiently to the
complaints of the mutineers; but, when their spokesman called upon him
to lead them upon a piratical cruise, he lost all control of himself,
and, throwing all pruden