Treasures dem find in Spain ship wey sink in Bahamas ova 350 years ago

Na almost midnight for 4 July 1656 and di Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Las Maravillas (Our Lady of Wonders in Spanish) dey quiet.

Na only di sound of di sea and di wind wey dey blow di sails of di massive ship dey make any noise.

Di Maravillas dey go Spain afta e don collect booty of silver from di wreckage of di Jesus María de la Limpia Concepcion, wey be ship wey sink for di reef off wetin now be Ecuador.

But afta a few seconds, everytin change.

Navigation error by di Nuestra Senora de La Concepcion, wey be ship wey bin dey sail for di same fleet make am hit di Maravillas, dis send di Spanish galleon go one reef.

In less than 30 minutes, e go dey for di bottom of di Atlantic Ocean.

For di crew of 650 pipo na only 45 survive.

New rescue

Ova di last four centuries, plenti expeditions don scata wetin dey inside di Maravilla for im watery grave wey dey 70km off di coast of Bahamas.

But in di last two years, one international team of preservationists and underwater archaeologists don do work to fit comot some of di ogbonge tins wey dey left behid.

Di booty now dey go on display for di first time for di newly opened Bahamas Maritime Museum.

Carl Allen wey be di founder of Allen Exploration wet carry out di salvage effort, say "di Maravillas na iconic part of di Bahamian maritime history".

E add say, "di shipwreck get hard history: many pieces bin dey recovered by Spanish, English, French, Dutch, American and Bahamian expeditions for di 17h and 18th centuries".

Project marine archaeologist James Sinclair, also tok sat di ship fit dey, "scattered sake of past salvage and hurricanes", but di team dey convinced say "dem be more tori for outside".

According to di museum, one of di most important pieces wey dem find for recent expedition wey get gold pendant wit di Cross of Santiago (Saint James) for di centre.

Anoda tin dem find na di same cross wey dey come out from one large oval-shaped Colombian emerald. For di outside frame e bin get 12 more emeralds wey represent di 12 apostles.

Dis show sat di Order of Santiago bin dey on board. Di Order of Santiago na ogbonge religious and military joinbodi wey start for di 12th century for Spain and Portugal. Dia knights bin de very active for maritime trade.

Wen di Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama, di first European to sail to India, take command of an armada of 21 ships between 1502 and 1503, e bin sail with eight knights from di order.

Oda important tins wey dem find na silver and gold coins, emeralds, amethysts, gold chain wey be 1.8 metres long and silver bar wey weigh 34kg.

But Allen and di team no only comot treasures. Di expedition also comot some items from di ship wey be di last traces of di ship. E include a stone ballast, iron fasteners wey bin dey hold fo hull togeda and wing nut from one bronze navigation instrument wey dem call astrolabe.

Dem also find tins wey crew bin dey use like jars, plates and wine bottles.

Wetin be di importance for di Bahamas

Allen Exploration say e hope to keep di pieces for di Bahamas, and na wetin di Bahamas Maritime Museum want too.

Michael Pateman, di museum oga tok say "for kontri wey dem build on top water, di tins wey dey known about how Bahamas connect with di sea".

E remember say, "plenti pipo no know say di indigenous Lucayan for instance bin settle for hia 1,300 ago. Or say di Spanish use force comt all dia population wey reach almost 50,000 pipo comot to go find pearls for Venezuela and in less that 30 years, dem go extinct".