80 



THE SEA. 



remained under water in his submarine boat for over two hours, the air in that 

 case being supplied from a large globe containing highly condensed air, which was 

 allowed to escape as required. The foul air passed off from tubes in bubbles to the 

 surface. 



As early as the year 1663 an Englishman named William Phipps, the son of a 

 blacksmith, invented a plan for recovering from the bottom of the sea the treasures out of 

 a Spanish vessel which had sunk on the coast of Hispaniola. Charles II. lent him a 



A DIVER AT WORK (WITH SUBMARINE LAM1'). 



ship and all that was necessary for his enterprise, but the matter did not turn out 

 successfully, and William Phipps fell into a state of the greatest poverty. Notwith- 

 standing this nothing could discourage his ardour, and to set himself afloat again he 

 opened a subscription list in England, of which the Duke of Albemarle was one of the 

 subscribers. In 1667 Phipps embarked in a ship of 200 tons burden, having undertaken 

 beforehand to divide the profits between the twenty shareholders who represented the 

 associated capital. At first starting his search proved altogether unavailing, and he 

 was just beginning to despair, when he fell in with the golden vein. The fortunate 

 diver returned to England with 200,000 ; 20,000 he kept for himself, and no less 

 than 90,000 came to the share of the Puke of Albemarle. Phipps was knighted by the 



