ld bring the matter to
a more reasonable close."

It will be observed that diplomacy had obtained for Lloyd's only a
half-interest in its own wreck. The other fifty per cent. still
belonged to Mr. Eschauzier's company, as King Willem was particular to
make clear in his decree, dated from Het Loo, which went on to say: "By
our Minister of Foreign Affairs, we have offered to the King of Great
Britain to cede to his Majesty all that which by our decree of the 14th
of September, 1821, was reserved to the Netherlands in the bottom in
question and the cargo therein, doing so solely as a proof of our
friendly feeling towards the Kingdom of Great Britain, and in nowise
from a conviction of the right of England to any portion of the said
cargo....

"We have been pleased and thought fit:

"1. To cede to His Majesty of Great Britain all that which by our
decree of the 4th September, 1821, was reserved in favor of the kingdom
relative to the cargo of the frigate _Lutine_.

"2. To instruct our minister of inland affairs and the maritime
department--Water Staat--to give notice of this our decree, as well as
of the cession made on the part of His Majesty of Great Britain to the
Society of Lloyd's, to our chancellor of state, governor of North
Holland, and to the other authorities concerned, as well as to the
participators in the undertaking of 1821 in the Netherlands, and to
inform them likewise that an English agent will ere long wait upon
them, in order to make all such arrangements with them as may be deemed
advisable for the furtherance of their mutual interests. And our
Ministers for Inland Affairs and the Maritime Department are charged
with the carrying out of this decree."

The members of Lloyd's were hardly better off with the gift of one-half
a wreck than they had been with no wreck at all. Before undertaking
any salvage operations they must come to some kind of an understanding
with the "Upper Strand Finder" and his partners, with respect to
expenses and profits. The Dutch, with proverbial caution, were
reluctant to scrape acquaintance with the English owners, convinced
that in some matter or other, this new ownership in the treasure had
been unfairly extorted from their government at the Hague. It was not
until 1830, that friendly relations were established, and in the
meantime Mr. Eschauzier had died, leaving his share in the treasure
among his legacies.

Then negotiations were interrupted by the politica