Journey of the Lost Princess

It was late July in 1622, and the Spanish Treasure Fleet had not yet departed. The royal guard galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha and other vessels were still awaiting the arrival of more gold and silver coming by pack train from the former Incan mines in Peru, before setting sail for their rendezvous in Havana. Pirates and privateers were always concerns, but the Atocha's Captain was also worried about the violent storm systems that Caribbean natives called huracans after their Storm God. In late August and well into the season for such storms, the Fleet finally reached Havana. As a military escort vessel, the Atocha was well armed and carried a entire company of soldiers to fend off possible attacks. For this reason, she was also a vessel of choice for many wealthy passengers and carried a large portion of the Fleet's treasure. The weather was good on the morning of September 4th as the Fleet of 28 ships at last weighed anchors and left Havana for Spain, sailing northward in single file toward the Florida Keys to pick up the current of the Gulf Stream. Taking up her assigned position near the rear of this line was the Atocha, riding low in the water due to her heavy burden. Northeasterly winds arose that evening, and they continued to increase throughout the night. By dawn of the next day the Fleet was in mountainous seas, and most passengers were below decks either seasick or praying for their lives. But on the following day the wind shifted, driving most of the vessels near the head of the line past the Dry Tortugas and into the relative safety of the Gulf of Mexico. The Atocha and four other ships near the rear were not nearly as fortunate however, and took the full force of the storm. With their sails in shreds, masts broken, and tillers ripped off, they drifted helplessly toward the reefs. The Atocha was lifted high on a huge wave, then dashed violently onto the jagged coral. She sunk quickly, dragged to the bottom by her heavy load of treasure and armament.