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Lot 448
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Early Treasure Hunting In 1832 Submarine! 6pp
Early Treasure Hunting In 1832 Submarine! 6pp
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Description:

British Navy
Guildford, England, March 20, 1834
Early Treasure Hunting In 1832 Submarine! 6pp
ALS
[BRITISH NAVY]. Jenkin Jones, Autograph Letter Signed, to [Henry Colburn], Editor of the United Service Journal, March 20, 1834, Guildford, England. 6 pp., 8" x 12.75". Disbound; general toning; soiling to verso of final page; small tears to left margin and one hole on final page.

This letter from Captain Jenkin Jones of the Royal Navy to Henry Colburn, the editor of The United Service Journal and Naval and Military Magazine, published in London, describes the complex eighteen-month recovery effort of treasure lost off the coast of Brazil by the wreck of the HMS Thetis. Captain Thomas Dickinson (1786-1854) led the recovery effort with diving bells of his own invention for more than a year and adapted a derrick to the purpose of supporting a diving bell in the treacherous waters off Cape Frio. Dickinson was a twice-wounded veteran of the Napoleonic Wars who took command of the HMS Lightning in 1829 and served on the South American Station until 1832.

Excerpts
"During the time that Captain Thomas Dickinson was engaged in his submarine labours, he transmitted to me a detailed account of the mechanical contrivances to which he resorted in recovering treasure from the wreck of H. M. S. Thetis at Cape Frio, under circumstances of a nature wholly unprecedented; and it is owing to the impression made upon my mind of the science and skill which those contrivances displayed, that I was induced to attend at the Admiralty Court pending the trial of the cause of the salvors. It therefore was not without a feeling of surprise that I perused, in the "Literary Gazette" of the 1st of March, a statement which would naturally lead the reader to suppose that the merit of that successful enterprise belonged solely to the commander and crew of H. M. S. Algerine." (p1)

"I...request that you will have the goodness to insert the article above alluded to, and a few extracts from the judgment pronounced by the late learned Judge of the Admiralty Court." (p1)

[Article:] "‘These operations were carried on by the captain and crew of H. M. S. Algerine. Owing to the remote position of the Cape, the means employed were of necessity very simple—a capstan, cables, and diving-bell, quarter of a ton, made from a Ship's Tank. During heavy swells, the oscillations of the bell were from 20 to 25 feet in extent, consequently little could be done. In heavy weather the party was employed in devising means to blast and rend the rock around the wreck, which was accomplished by Cylinders &c. After some search, the divers discovered the bed of the Treasure, and first found a quantity of specie and old church-plate, mixed up with decayed meat, the stench of which was most distressing. By a great and simultaneous effort another rock was blasted and a larger sum of money was found. In short, after repeated exertions, about 15-16ths of the whole property was recovered; after which the captain & his companions departed to Rio de Janeiro.'" (p2)

[Judgment:] "Again in another part of the Judge's remarks, he says, ‘It is scarcely possible to imagine any patience and persevering exertion that was not sustained by Captn Dickinson and those under his command.' And regarding the construction and erection of the Derrick, ‘1 see no reason to deny to Captn Dickinson the full merit of adapting this invention to that particular service.' And again, ‘Captn Dickinson relinquished the command on the 6th of March, 1832,' (having commenced his work on the 30th of Jany 1831) ‘having recovered treasure to the amount of 588,621 Dollars. He was then succeeded by Captn De Roos of the Algerine, who received from Captn Dickinson, all the information to be derived or collected from former proceedings. They left the Brazilian territory on the 27th of July 1832, having recovered dollars amounting, with those recovered by Captn Dickinson, to 750,000, out of 806,000 dollars, or fifteen-sixteenths of the whole property which had been lost. And so terminated a service carried on with continued exertions during eighteen months, which may be described as unprecedented in circumstances, not easy to be surpassed by merit, and unequalled, so far as I know, in the value of the property which was saved." (p3-4)

"Captn W: F: Owen states,— ‘The deponent, who has been for forty-four years in continuous and active employment in his Majesty's service, is of opinion that the aforesaid works and operations do infinite credit to the talent, zeal, and seamanlike tact of the individual under whose orders and directions the said works and operations were carried on and accomplished, and that the erection of the said Derrick as viewed by this deponent, under the great disadvantages of the locality and very limited means of effecting the same, forms a work which, under such circumstances, could only have been performed by British seamen, and certainly has never been equalled within his knowledge.— And he further saith, that during the period before-mentioned, Thomas Dickinson, Esq., the commander of his Majesty's sloop Lightning, was (save the deponent) the senior officer on the said island of Cape Frio; and that the whole of the operations there carried on in respect of the salvage of the treasure aforesaid during such period were carried on by, or under the immediate orders and personal direction of the said Thomas Dickinson; and it is the opinion and belief of the deponent, that the success of the service on which the said Thomas Dickinson was then employed, depended entirely on his own great personal activity, and promptitude of mind and action in obviating and repairing those casualties to which the same was continually & inevitably exposed & subjected....'" (p4-5)

Historical Background
The HMS Thetis was a 46-gun fifth-rate frigate built for the Royal Navy in the 1810s. The ship was first commissioned in 1823 and assigned to the South America Station in 1826. It wrecked off Cape Frio, Brazil, in December 1830, with the loss of 22 crewmen. Most of the cargo of bullion was subsequently salvaged in 1831 and 1832. In August 1832, a packet brought back to England 17,000 dollars salvaged from the HMS Thetis.

Jenkin Jones (ca. 1793-1843) was an officer in the Royal Navy. He was commissioned a lieutenant in 1813 and later promoted to commander (1816) and captain (1828). He commanded the HMS Curacao in South America and the South Pacific from 1839 to 1841.

Henry Colburn (ca. 1784-1855) was well-educated and fluent in French. He became an apprentice printer in 1800 and began publishing his first books in 1806. He pioneered what became known as "silver fork novels," which allowed readers to peer into the lifestyles of rich and aristocratic families. He also founded several periodicals, including the New Monthly Magazine, and Universal Register (1814), the Literary Gazette (1817), the Court Journal (1828), and The United Service Journal and Naval and Military Magazine (1829). The last appealed to both a general audience and military and naval officers.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 8" x 12.75"
  • Medium: ALS

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