The Cecil Whig

Crew Of Sloop Brought It Up In Dredge
On Sunday.

Capt. Lemuel Hardiker, of the trim little sloop "Bessie W. Droane," which tied up at Pratt Street wharf, Baltimore, last Sunday, is the proud possessor of a pot of gold. His treasure came from the depths of the Chesapeake Bay, where it had rested probably for several hundred years. It consists of these articles:
A gold cross of antique design, elaborately carved.
Two finger rings of old English design.
One long neck chain.
Seventeen gold coins, which are supposed to be Spanish doubloons.
Thirty-eight silver coins, varying in size from a silver dollar to an old-time three-cent piece.
An old gold clasp, which was no doubt used on a Bible.
There are also in the collection several small gold and silver trinkets, but time and the salt water have worn them away so that their original designs cannot be definitely determined.
Captain Hardiker found his treasure February 17th, while dredging for oysters off Kent Island. How and when the valuables got to the bottom of the bay is a mystery the lucky captain cannot fathom. He says it is enough for him to know that he is the owner of the gold and silver, which he proposes to sell. The proceeds he will spend on the first vacation of his busy life.
The crew of the sloop were whiling the windlass at a lively rate on the day of the find, when a mud-covered object fell on the vessel's deck. At first the men thought it was a big stone. Captain Hardiker says he cleaned the mud from it out of curiosity, and discovered an iron pot. He then explored the interior and found a growth of oysters. Then he knocked off with a hammer, and then found several barnacle-covered and stained bits of metal.
Being curious to learn more about the pot's contents, he scrubbed one of the pieces in a pan of hot water and soap. When he saw the color of yellow gold after the cleaning process Captain Hardiker says he lost no time in continuing his investigations.
In about an hour the table in the sloop's cabin had the appearance of a show counter in an antique jewelry shop. The crew crowded into the cabin and there was much rejoicing. Captain Hardiker decided to keep the find for his own benefit, but, following out the rule regarding such matters, he made the crew an extra allowance of pay as their share.
Captain Hardiker says that he proposes to have the gold weighed and valued this week. The iron pot is a relic, no doubt, of the days when fearless pirates sailed the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and robbed the strong boxes of many vessels. For generations residents of Kent Island have known that the pirates of old had buried treasure along the shore of the historic Island, and from time to time coins of ancient date and objects of gold and silver have been found.-Baltimore Morning Herald.