Chapter 26

Sunk!?!

Well ... not exactly. She probably would be if the water was just a trifle deeper.

We'd just come from a week of serious camping at the archaeological dig ... setting up camp at the beach was a snap ... after we cleared it with the Federales.

I took bids:

Raise her, clean her, restore her.

I met a lot of greedy people. The low bids had a contingency rider. Certain problems may arise. If so, the customer guarantees payment. That sort of thing.

The higher bids didn't have rider clauses. I disappointed the scoundrels and hired the most reasonable of the high bidders.

"Mr. Valmaat," said the diver, as his helper unscrewed the brass helmet from the suit collar. "There's a problem. Your boat is resting on top of another wreck."

"I guess we'll have to do a little research, then."

I suggested the library to the kids. Art and Keri took off. They came down to the beach every night and returned to the library every morning. In the stacks, piles of local newspapers, they found references of smuggling in the 1830's.

One Edgar Rodrigues, a store keeper famous for the quality of his goods, had left his business at his normal time but, in the morning, his store was found locked up, his employees milling around the entrance, and Señor Rodrigues unavailable to open the place for the days customers. The newspaper reported that, after a week, the Federales, suspecting foul play, forced entry but nothing of Rodrigues was found.

Rodrigues owned a brig, a two master of inconsiderable size, some 60 feet length on deck, was missing and it was assumed that Rodrigues had sailed after fresh stock. He never returned.

"Daddy?" said Artturi, "Do you suppose Rodrigues' ship never left the harbor? That the Vellamo is resting on the hulk?"

"What would cause a sinking?" I asked.

Inkeri said, "The weather report from the newspaper of the day read that there had been a typical evening squall with severe winds and a lot of rain. According to the paper, sudden heavy rain and sporadic high winds are normal for the time of year."

Well, one never knows.

Further research revealed that there was a gap in the amount of smuggling through Veracruz until the end of the French occupation, when Hector Rodrigues, Edgar's son, reopened the store in downtown Veracruz.

Early on Monday, we met our hired diver at the cantina, explained the situation as we understood it, and asked for advice.

He began demonstrating with his hands, while drawing pictures on the tablecloth.

"The original wreck is a two masted brig lying on its side ... thus. The Vellamo sits here. My two barges will sling support your boat with canvas strapping. I propose blocking the water entry and sealing the cockpit aft hatches with fitted wood panels. The pump hoses will be here ... here ... and here. The pumps are very high capacity. As the water level in the hull lowers the boat will rise off the wreck and we will take up slack with the webbing. Since you are paying for my time I suggest a fifty-fifty split from anything we find in the brig."

The dissertation was interrupted by many sips, refills of coffee and a cigarillo or two.

"You are expecting... ?" I asked.

"I already have," he said, throwing an irregular coin that looked remarkably like gold on the tablecloth, It was stamped, stamped and restamped, obviously hand poured molten gold hammered with an official die.

"My son wanted to cheat you," he said. "You are paying for my time. That makes what I discover yours ... I hope you will share."

The Vellamo was raised, towed between the barges to the shallows, careened and had a thorough temporary repair done well enough to get her to dry dock for a complete refit. The culprit was discovered to be inferior zincs.

On the wreck front, our diver recovered 14 small chests of gold, silver and copper hand poured and stamped coins. The gold and silver coins were in remarkable condition, while the copper coins were mostly oxide.

Piece of Eight: 8 reales=27.03 grams.

Not quite an ounce.

It has been rumored that the difference in weight between an ounce of gold and a Piece of Eight was a Spanish way of taxation.