the squabbles of authority could be resolved. The commander was not particularly concerned, for the bay seemed impregnable; but he sent for instructions from the Captain-General of , the Prince de Barbanzon, who in turn referred to the court in . Several days passed before the messenger arrived with orders to unload the gold and silver destined for the treasury; the rest of the cargo must remain in the ships until the legal tangle could be resolved. There was no hurry: The English had suffered a defeat at Cadiz, and had raised the siege some five-days after the Silver English and Dutch spies learned of what was probably the wealthiest treasure fleet of Fleet had sailed into . The English had then split all time. Joining forces, they planned a careful attack that would pin the Spaniard up, some sailing north, some south — there was nothing to be feared. treasure ships and warships in Vigo Bay where they could be overcome and the The rest of this story is the result of a quirk of fate BY CLAIRE SMYTHE and a typical example of “careless talk.” One of the treasure looted — ships of the English fleet put in to Lagos to take on igo Bay, on the northwest coast of , of eight; native gold in doubloons; cochincal, indigo, and water. The Anglican chaplain grasped the opportunity provides a remarkable land-locked natural ambergris; wood from Campeche, Nicaragua, and Brazil, to take a stroll ashore and visit an inn where, in V harbor. It is entered by means of an inlet from mahogany and redwood; cotton; tobacco in rolled leaves conversation with a stranger newly arrived from Cadiz, the sea that ends in a narrow neck, broadening out and powder; tanned skins and rawhide; balsam of Peru he learned that the Silver Fleet, which should have again to form a large lagoon-shaped bay, flanked on and Tolu, jalap, sarsaparilla, sassafras, bezoar, tamarind, come into Cadiz, had perforce diverted to Vigo. Hastily all sides by steep hills. Here ships could lie safely at quassia, cocoa, ginger, sugar, and vanilla. downing his drink, the chaplain returned to his ship to anchor, protected from the elements by the land and Exactly what quantities of these goods the ships report the news. The captain at once weighed anchor Painting of Adm. (1650-1709) who led the by a boom and defensive forts built at the narrow carried is not known: In order to cheat Spanish customs, expedition to capture the southern Spanish port of Cadiz to and contrived to catch up with the rest of the English opening into the bay. Here the Spanish fleet that, in it was common to reveal only about half the total cargo cut off Spain’s transatlantic trade. ships, under the command of Adm. Sir George Rook. 1702, had brought back fabulous riches from the New on the ship’s manifest! However, when the Silver Fleet of This fleet consisted of 50 warships World, thought it would be unmolested by the 1702 left the roadsteads it was reputed to be the The fleet made good time, but on and 100 transports carrying 13,500 depradations of the impertinent English. richest that had ever sailed. calling at the Azores its soldiers, and the formidable force This fleet was one of those which sailed periodically was urgently in need of the fleet’s commanders learned that the immediately turned about and from the coasts of South America laden with the products cargo. France and Spain were now close allies, for the threatened war had already broken sailed for Vigo. It arrived there on of the mines of Mexico and Peru. As occasionally grandson of Louis XIV had succeeded to the Spanish out. British and Dutch ships were 21 October, and with the calm happened, the annual sailing of such fleets was throne; but the Grand Alliance had united England, blockading Cadiz. The Spanish effrontery of a strongly armed and postponed for one reason or another — weather, war, Holland, Austria, Prussia, and Hanover against Louis commander, Don Manuel de Velasco, boldly led force, sailed up and down buccaneers, or lack of suitable ships — and the fleet that and war was imminent. Gold was urgently needed to immediately summoned a council of making plans, finally anchoring sailed in 1702 was one of these. It carried three-years’ finance this war and the French sent warships all the war on board his flagship, the Jesus- outside the bay on 23 October. accumulated cargoes that, according to the documents way across the Atlantic to Havana, with orders that the Maria-Joseph. The French The presence of the English of the Casa de Contratación included pearls, emeralds, Silver Fleet was to sail without delay, protected by its commander, Châteaurenault, fleet was soon known to the and amethysts; native silver in ingots and pieces escort of French and Spanish men-of-war. suggested that the fleet should Spanish. In the month which had make for Brest or La Rochelle, thus passed since the Silver Fleet Map defining Spanish territory in 1702. Dramatic oil painting The Battle of Vigo Bay by Ludolf evading the forces which were arrived, much work had been done Backhusen captures the action that took place in what many certainly keeping watch over the coasts of England and in unloading the ships, but the Spaniards now redoubled have called the “richest of all sea battles.” those which were harrying Spain. But the Spaniards their efforts. Following the orders from the court, the would have none of it. The French king was in need of king’s share of the treasure had at once been money himself; and such a large treasure might prove disembarked. On 19 October, Gen. de Velasco, the fleet’s too tempting. Their orders were to deliver it to their own commander, announced that all the royal silver from the king, and into a Spanish port they would go. Capitana and much of that from the Almirante had been Vigo, on the north coast, was an obvious spot. The fle- sent to safety. et would thus evade the English at Cadiz and also bene- A contemporary source — the memoirs of nobleman fit from the safe anchorage. Without difficulty the “state- Don Goyanes Reimondez — mentions “more than 3000 ly Spanish ” made their way along the fjord-like carts, each drawn by four oxen” having been sent to Vigo channel and through the neck into the bay where they Bay; but many of them were still loading when the dropped anchor off the little port of Redondela. English fleet launched its attack. Vigo was a small port, The fleet, now felt itself safe: the precious, much- ill-equipped to handle large numbers of merchant ships needed treasure had been brought home. But there and the unloading was a slow and lengthy process. were problems. The traders of Cadiz claimed that — by At midday on 23 October, the English landed 4000 virtue of a privilege they enjoyed — nothing could be men. Half the force assaulted the fortress on one bank, disembarked. Thus the tedious Spanish bureaucracy, the other half the second fortress. With covering fire which was so often the cause of delays and disaster from the ships anchored outside the bay, they soon took resulted in the treasure staying aboard the ships until the fortifications. There was still the defensive boom to 60 SEA CLASSICS/July 2017 seaclassicsnow.com 61