The wreckage of a ship thought to have belonged to Captain Morgan, the 17th century British buccaneer, has been found off the coast of Panama.

The wreck, which contains numerous unopened cargo boxes and coral-encrusted chests, appears to match the age and design of five ships Morgan lost off the reef in 1671

Archaeologists from Texas State University diving near the Lajas Reef discovered a large section of hull from what they believe to be Henry Morgan's flagship, 'Satisfaction'.

The wreck, which contains numerous unopened cargo boxes and coral-encrusted chests, appears to match the age and design of five ships Morgan lost off the reef in 1671.

The team of explorers, led by Fritz Hanselmann, the university's Chief Underwater Archaeologist, previously discovered six iron cannons that belonged to Morgan nearby.

"To us, the ship is the treasure – the story is the treasure," Mr Hanselman said. "You don't have a much better story than Captain Morgan's sack of Panama City and the loss of his five ships."

Morgan, of Monmouthshire, Wales, raided Panama City with 1,400 men in January 1671. He preyed on Spanish forces on behalf of the English crown, though his clearance for the Panama attack is disputed.


The city was a vital trade hub for the Spanish and a crucial gateway into their landholdings in the Americas and the Caribbean. However many of its riches were spirited away before Morgan arrived.
While he went on to overpower the city, he lost Satisfaction and four other ships amid rough seas and shallow reef around the fort of Castillo de San Lorenzo.
Morgan's name was later taken on by the Captain Morgan rum company. All artefacts found will remain property of the Panamanian government, and will go on display at the Patronato Panama Viejo.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...eck-found.html