On his arrival in England, therefore, Captain Phips solicited the king to let him have another vessel, and send him back again to the West Indies.  But King James, who had probably expected that the Rose Algier would return laden with gold, refused to have any thing more to do with the affair.  Phips might never have been able to renew the search, if the Duke of Albemarle, and some other noblemen had not lent their assistance.  They fitted out a ship and gave the command to Captain Phips.  He sailed from England, and arrived safely at Porto de la Plata, where he took an adze and assisted his men to build a large boat.

The boat was intended for the purpose of going closer to the reef of rocks than a large vessel could safely venture.  When it was finished, the Captain sent several men in it, to examine the spot where the Spanish ship was said to have been wrecked.  They were accompanied by some Indians, who were skilful divers, and could go down a great way into the depths of the sea.

The boat’s crew proceeded to the reef of rocks, and rowed round and round it, a great many times.  They gazed down into the water, which was so transparent that it seemed as if they could have seen the gold and silver at the bottom, had there been any of those precious metals there.  Nothing, however, could they see; nothing more valuable than a curious sea shrub, which was growing beneath the water, in a crevice of the reef of rocks.  It flaunted to and fro with the swell and reflux of the waves, and looked as bright and beautiful as if its leaves were gold.

“We won’t go back empty-handed,” cried an English sailor; and then he spoke to one of the Indian divers.  “Dive down and bring me that pretty sea shrub there.  That’s the only treasure we shall find!”

Down plunged the diver, and soon rose dripping from the water, holding the sea shrub in his hand.  But he had learnt some news at the bottom of the sea.

“There are some ship’s guns,” said he, the moment he had drawn breath, “some great cannon among the rocks, near where the shrub was growing.”

No sooner had he spoken, than the English sailors knew that they had found the very spot where the Spanish galleon had been wrecked so many years before.  The other Indian divers immediately plunged over the boat’s side, and swam headlong down, groping among the rocks and sunken cannon.  In a few moments one of them rose above the water, with a heavy lump of silver in his arms.  That single lump was worth more than a thousand dollars.  The sailors took it into the boat, and then rowed back as speedily as they could, being in haste to inform Captain Phips of their good luck.

But, confidently as the Captain had hoped to find the Spanish wreck, yet now that it was really found, the news seemed too good to be true.  He could not believe it till the sailors showed him the lump of silver.

“Thanks be to God!” then cries Captain Phips.  “We shall every man of us make our fortunes!”