Hunt for the Lost Treasure of San Jose

Paul Caetano

Description

On June 8, 1708, the Spanish Galleon San José exploded and sank somewhere in the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia, during an attack suffered by an English fleet. Along with it, 600 people died and treasured in gold, silver, coins and precious stones, now valued at twenty billion dollars. The exact site of its sinking has not yet been absolutely confirmed and it has been the subject of a legal dispute between several countries that have already made search and rescue excursions for what is now considered the Holy Grail of Shipwrecks.
This book inserts a fictional story into this real historical fact. In order to find a supposed shipwreck map made by one of the survivors, two teams of professionals, scientists and Marines, one from Spain and one from England, return to the past through two wormholes opened as a time tunnel. And then, the most exciting, risky and challenging competition begin, in which, to achieve their goals, the members have to follow clues that lead them to an intermittent sequence of breathtaking adventures.
Pirates, cannibals, Mayans, mermaids, sea monsters and volcanoes, among others, are the challenges that the enigmatic map brings to young people to be overcome, some of them deadly. Competition in the past has repercussions in the present, generating an international conflict around the dilemma: to what extent do people fight for their ideals? An exciting mix of science fiction, physics, Latin American history and fantasy, which will trap the reader from the first to the last page.

Sujets

• Adventure
• Fiction
• Action

Informations

• Publié par: AuthorHouse
• Date de parution: 06 juillet 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781665562348
• Langue: English

Extrait

HUNT for THE LOST TREASURE of San Jose
 
 
 
 
 
PAUL CAETANO
 
 
 

 
AuthorHouse™
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.authorhouse.com
Phone: [phone]
 
 
 
© 2022 Paul Caetano. All rights reserved.
 
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.
 
Published by AuthorHouse 06/21/2022
 
ISBN: 978-1-6655-6235-5 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6655-6234-8 (e)
 
 
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Credits
Cover – Adriano Patriani
Author´s photo: Mabille Caselatto
Text Review: Thalyta Rizzo
 
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
 
 
 
 
I thank God for all that He has give n me,
especially for the family and
the gift of creati vity.
CONTENTS
Chapter IThe Battle Of Barú Bay
Chapter IIThe Expedition
Chapter IIIRace Against Time
Chapter IVTreasure Map Hunt
Chapter VThe Four Challenges
Chapter VIThe Last Journey
Bibliography
CHAPTER I THE BATTLE OF BARÚ BAY
NAVAL SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CÁDIZ, PUERTO REAL CAMPUS, SPAIN - YEAR 2021
T he lights go out and the projection of some well-illustrated slides begins, changing along with the narrative:
“The arrival of Christopher Columbus, in 1492, to what is now the island of the Bahamas began Spanish colonization in what they called the New World. Dozens of Spanish conquerors braved seas, forests, and mountains, facing dangers and challenges that cost the lives of hundreds of soldiers, servants, and settlers.
From the 15 th to the 16 th century, explorers, under the service of the Spanish Crown, descended the Western slopes of the South American territory, founding several cities in a region extending to what nowadays goes from Panama to Uruguay, respecting the Treaty of Tordesillas which was concluded on June 7, 1494 between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Crown of Castile, which divided the American continent into two hemispheres: the Eastern one would belong to Portugal - Brazil - and the Western one, to Spain.
In addition to the natural challenges, the conquerors – keeping an eye, of course, on the riches and spices – faced the indigenous peoples who occupied such lands, especially three very well developed great empires: that of the Aztecs, who occupied Central America in the Region of Mexico; that of the Mayans, also in Central America in the region where Guatemala and Honduras are nowadays; and that of the Incas, in the Midwest of the continent, a region that today comprises Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.
Such civilizations had for centuries been powerful and very, very rich: the exploration of gold, silver, and precious stones – such as the famous Potosi silver mine, now in Bolivian territory – filled pagan temples, ornamented palaces, found idols and brought prosperity to build cities of more than one hundred thousand inhabitants. Advanced engineering techniques for that time were employed in the constructions, plantations, and irrigation systems in mountainous and desert regions, remaining to this day a mystery that our history cannot unravel.
Unfortunately, such empires, already weakened by internal divisions, were extinguished by the ambition of the explorers. In 1519, Hernan Cortés imprisoned Montezuma, the last Emperor of the Aztecs in Mexico; in 1697, Martin of Ursúa conquered Tayasal, the last city of the Mayans; and in 1532, Francisco Pizarro imprisoned and executed Atahualpa, emperor of the Incas, weakened by war with his brother Huáscar.”
Professor Perez stops the presentation and asks for the lights to be turned on. This reveals several students napping on top of their tables.
He clears his throat:
- Any questions, so far?
Half disguising, students straighten in their chair, in silence. Perez pretends it’s going well:
- May I continue with the second part of the class?
Isabel, who is super awake, answers with double meaning:
- Of course, Master, it’s very interesting, I can’t wait to hear the end of it.
Without moving her head and with a slight smile on her lip, she moves her eyes from side to side to see the reaction of her colleagues, not good. The teacher chooses to interpret her answer in a positive way:
- Just you wait , then, Isabel! For now we get to the most interesting part of today’s theme!
He asks for the lights to be turned off and continues the projection of his PowerPoint presentation. A picture of an old men in long white curly wig, sitting comes up.
“We arrive at the turn from the seventeenth to the eighteenth century. He is Philip de Bourbon, Duke of Anjour, French and grandson of Louis XIV, kind of France, In 1700, after the death of Charles II, king of Spain and last descendant of the Habsburg dynasty without leaving an heir-successor. he changed his name to Philip V and he was chosen to become the next monarch of Spain, beginning the dynasty of the House of Bourbons in the Iberian country.
France and Spain, now allied, were a major threat to the other dynasties that prevailed in European absolutist kingdoms, where wealthy families sought to perpetuate themselves in power struggle which lasted for generations and generations, such as had been with the House of Habsburg.
Concerned about the possibility of Louis XV, grandson of Louis XIV, becoming king of both France and Spain, Austria, England, Holland, Sweden, and Denmark signed, in 1701, the Treaty of The Hague to close the so-called Grand Alliance. These countries’ war against France and Spain would begin the following year.
There have been several battles, both on land and on sea. England, which at the time had the best navy, had secured victories in Cadiz and Gibraltar in the 1680s. Such wars extended to the colonies and there were frequent persecutions and fighting in the Caribbean and Pacific seas, which were in themselves already very dangerous due to the presence of the famous pirates from all nationalities who attacked vessels and increased the smuggling of goods between the Old and the New World.
Meanwhile, in the Americas, prosperity ran in fullspeed in the Spanish colonies: trade, both legal and illegal, enriched those who ventured to live there and explore the local riches, especially silver.
In the 18 th century, two great viceroyalties were outlined by the Spanish crown: that of Mexico, known then as The New Spain, whose capital was Vera Cruz; and that of Peru, whose capital was Lima. The territory of the viceroyalty of Peru was not like the country we know today: it comprised the region of today’s Venezuela extending all the way down to the south of Argentina. It was divided into administrative units called Royal Audiences. The Real Audiencias of Lima, Panama, Portobello, Santa Fe Bogotá, Santiago de Chile and Charkas, whose capital was Buenos Aires, were very active.
Lima was the most prosperous colonized city of all and its inhabitants’ boasted luxury, gastronomy and development that carried the image of wealth and prosperity amongst Europeans. Between the years 1500-1600, the class of merchant traders became very strengthened, influential and was the one who supported the local viceroy, in addition to generating thousands of pesos in tax collection to the Spanish crown.
To manage nearly five and a half million inhabitants during Peru’s reign, Spain appointed a viceroy, who was the legal representative of the crown. To get an idea, Melchor de Navarra y Rocafull, Duke of La Palata and viceroy of Peru from 1681 to 1689, was greeted in Lima with a two-blocks-long street paved with silver bricks which led to his official residence.
When he died, he was succeeded by another Melchor, Portocarrero, Count of the Monclova, who reigned in Peru from 1689 to 1705, after having been viceroy of Mexico (New Spain) between 1686 and 1688, dead by 1705.”
Perez does not hear a single noise in the room and decides to stop the presentation again. He turns on the lights and, surprised, sees that half of the students have left and the other half are sliding their fingers through their phones’ screens.
- Where is everybody?
Isabel, always helpful, tries to explain:
- Well, professor, they were leaving gradually... I think they went to the bathroom.
- So young and already having kidney problems? – mocks Perez.
- It’s just that... - the girl is defensive, raising her shoulders.
Lorenzo, sitting next to her, tries to help:
- ... we’re going to have a test in the next class, and I think they went to study, dear master.
Professor Perez pretends to believe:
- Oh, I know... study... yes, of course, I think that’s what your colleagues are doing there on their phones, right?
Everyone tries swiftly to turn off their smartphone. Paloma, from the back, asks:
- Professor, this is all very well, but... Where are we going with that? I believe History shouldn’t be just facts and dates, that it serves to put in context processes of change that carry lessons that apply the present moment and experiences to avoid its repetition in the future.
Perez walks towards her, to the back of the room, half threatening. The girl gets defensive, but lets her guard down when he opens a smile and explains:
- Paloma Rodriguez! Very well! That’s