from an article in "cozumel news"
The Wreck of San Francisco De Sales in Cozumel
By Peter Zwick
Bob Marx, in his publication Shipwrecks of the Western Hemisphere, lists a merchant galleon, La Tetis, as having wrecked on Cozumel's windward side in 1760.
In the early 1980s, an American friend and I began investigating a shipwreck located well off shore at Hanan, a beautiful place with a double fringe reef and an excellent sandy beach. On the main body of the wreck fifteen 8 pounder cannons (fired an eight pound iron ball) and two large anchors were found.
Subsequent investigation of the wreck site resulted in finding five more 8 pounders and some smaller caliber cannons as well.
Correspondence to Sr. Rosario Para, Directora of archives in Seville Spain, produced the manifest of a ship named San Francisco De Sales (alias La Tetis) which foundered on the windward side of Cozumel April, 1761. La Tetis was homeward bound from Cartagena, South America when it sank. In July 1761 ships were sent from Campeche to salvage the cargo. La Tetis carried 20 eight pounder cannons, deck guns, cargo and contraband. Because of the length to bore ratio and the shape of the cannons, all were cast before 1780 and looked to be of French design. The manifest stated that the ship had been constructed in France and was later sold to a Spanish merchant.
We contacted marine archaeologists from Mexico City and College Station Texas and in 1987 conducted a survey of the galleon. A base line was established on shore and a grid was set up at the main body of the wreck to document the artifacts recovered from the site. The artifacts were placed in the Cozumel museum and on display there for several months. I have not seen the artifacts displayed in the new museum.
Among the artifacts recovered were a pewter plate dating from 1740-1780, partial glass bottles of mid eighteenth century vintage, a silver knife handle, and fragments of silver forks and spoons. One was marked Rodrigo's FRANC. Since the event was a survey, no serious recovery of artifacts was performed.
Since the 1987 survey, others have become privy to the location of the wreck. Coins predating 1760 and a few low quality, tiny emeralds were reported to have been found. Presence of emeralds supports the claim that the ship was coming from Colombia, South America.
Several stories have emerged calling the wreck by other names and one publication has stated that the wreck was recently uncovered by a hurricane. The truth is, the location of this wreck has been known to local fisherman for decades.
