and other experts in such matters state that they
consider it possible to recover some of the ships and their valuables,
was moved to take and to cause pains to be taken thereupon at his own
charges and hazard.

"For this reason, the Great Admiral, with the King's consent, gives,
grants, and disposes to the Marquis the said ships, ornaments,
munition, etc. of the Spanish Armada, and the entire profit that might
follow, or that he had already obtained therefrom, with full power to
the Marquis, his doukers, seamen, and others to search for the ships,
and intromit with them, providing the Marquis were accountable and made
prompt payment to the Duke of Lennox and Richmond of a hundredth part
of the ships, etc. with deduction of the expenses incurred for their
recovery, _pro rata_."

In these words the Crown assigned the treasure of the _Florencia_ to
the house of Argyll as part of its admiralty rights along that coast
where marched the family estates. In 1665, the ninth Earl of Argyll,
son of him who had obtained ownership of the galleon, employed an
expert diver and wrecker by the name of James Mauld to search for the
treasure of ducats and plate. It was an attractive speculation for
that notable "douker" who was promised four-fifths of all the "gold,
silver, metal, goods, etc." recovered and incidentally the Earl bound
himself "that the same James Mauld shall not be molested in his work,
and that his workmen shall have peaceable living in these parts during
their stay, and traveling through the Highlands and Isles, and shall be
free from all robberies, thefts, etc. so far as the said Earl can
prevent the same. The said contract provides further lodging houses
for the workmen at the usual rates, and is fixed to endure for three
years after March 1, 1666."

These divers easily found the hull of the galleon, and they made a
chart showing its exact bearings by landmarks on two sides of the bay.
This ancient chart of the "Spanish wrack" as it is labeled, is owned by
the present Duke of Argyll, and has been used by the modern treasure
seekers who are unable even with its aid to find the remains of the
_Florencia_, so deeply have her timbers sunk in the tide-swept silt of
the bay. The interest of the ninth Earl of Argyll in exploring the
galleon was diverted by Monmouth's Rebellion in which luckless
adventure he became an active leader. He was made prisoner and
suffered the loss of his head which abruptly snuffled out h