by John Marshall

“ Men were to be seen slung in ropes on all sides of the cove, busy in fixing the guys, &c. for the derrick, which happily was effected without any accident, from the judicious arrangements that had been made.
“The small diving-bell still continued at work, and on the 8th April, the men in it found themselves in the midst of a large quantity of provisions, the stench of which was so great, that the life of one man was endangered by it, and he was immediately removed from the bell. On the following day, the derrick being completed, it was launched into the harbour, and towed round to the cove. ”

“ Such a service, among the occupations of peace, ranks equally high with the brightest achievement of war: if the latter has shed lustre on the naval profession, the former reflects equal honor on those by whom it was accomplished, and adds no less to the character for enterprise which distinguishes the British seaman. ”

“ The operations in the cove were now totally suspended: the derrick had been destroyed, the two diving-bells were unserviceable, and all the buoys had disappeared. Commander Dickinson, however, had his resources at hand; the same persons who had constructed the diving-hells could make others; and no sooner was the small bell discovered to be broken, than orders were given to replace it with another. ”

“ On arriving at Cape Frio, Commander Dickinson, accompanied by acting Commander Martin, proceeded to examine the shore of the cove, and determine the plan to be pursued for suspending the diving-bell. The coast, as might have been expected, proved of that rocky description, which rendered the task still more difficult.
“To obtain a point of suspension for the diving-bell was now the chief concern. The general height of the land is about two hundred feet; and. Commander Dickinson imagined, that he could stretch cable across the cove from one height to the other ”

“ Commander Dickinson now proceeded in the Lightning, with the diving-bell and air-pump, besides a collection of hawsers and anchors, to Cape Frio, the scene of operation. A net was also prepared, to be spread across the entrance of the cove in which the Thetis lay, to prevent any part of her wreck from being washed out to sea. ”

“ This vessel sailed from Cape Frio on the 21st June; and on the 30th another large quantity of treasure was found beneath a rock, which, with much difficulty, had been removed. One of the Lightning’s hempen bower cables was secured across the cove, as a suspension cable for the large bell, which was first used on the 9th October; after which, the operations seem to have proceeded very successfully. Considerable difficulty, however, was found in keeping the iron bolts properly secured in the rocks, for the various fastenings. ”