wreckage."

Before the storm had subsided, the indefatigable seamen, blacksmiths,
and carpenters were solving the problem afresh, just as if there had
not been a clean sweep of their weary months of effort. This time it
was a new scheme for a suspension cable that had occurred to Captain
Dickinson. While this work was in progress he made another diving bell
from a water-tank, and succeeded in finding his air pump at the bottom
of the cove. Two men were drowned in the surf at this stage of
operations, the only fatalities suffered by the heroic company. The
diving bell was successfully slung from the suspended cable after a
vast deal of ingenious and daring engineering, and by means of it much
treasure was recovered, although the contrivance yawed fearfully under
water and more than once capsized and spilled its crew who fought their
gasping way to the surface.

After fourteen months of incessant toil, the men and officers worn to
the bone and ravaged by fever and dysentery, they had found almost six
hundred thousand dollars in bullion and specie, or three-fourths of the
total amount lost in the _Thetis_. It had been magnificently
successful salvage, achieved in the face of odds that would have
disheartened a less resourceful and courageous commander than Captain
Thomas Dickinson. He appears to have been the man in a thousand for
the undertaking. Then occurred an inexplicable sort of a
disappointment, an act of such gross injustice to him that it can be
explained only on the theory of favoritism at naval headquarters.
Captain Dickinson had a grievance and he describes the beginning of his
troubles in this fashion:

"On the 7th and 8th of March, some more treasure was found in a part
from which we had removed several guns, and here I had determined to
have a thorough examination by digging, feeling assured that here would
be found all the remaining treasure that could be obtained. Our labors
were drawing to a close, but while I was enjoying the pleasing
anticipation of a speedy and successful termination of the enterprise,
on the 6th I was surprised by the arrival of His Majesty's sloop
_Algerine_, with orders from the Commander-in-Chief to me to resign the
charge to Commander the Honorable J. F. F. de Roos of that sloop. It
appears that the Admiralty had been led to think that no more property
could be rescued, and therefore ordered my removal. I could not but
feel this a most mortifying circumstance. I had