Le Chameau
Naval Transport (FlûTe) · France · Lost 1725 · Nova Scotia & Sable Island
A French royal transport laden with colonial treasure was wrecked with all hands off Louisbourg in 1725; its gold and silver were recovered by divers in 1965.
The Vessel and Her Loss
Le Chameau was a French Navy transport that had made repeated voyages carrying passengers, cargo and funds to New France. On her final crossing in 1725 she carried a large shipment of gold and silver coin intended for the colonial government, along with the newly appointed governor of Trois-Rivières. Nearing Louisbourg, she was driven onto rocks in a storm and lost with all 316 aboard. The wreck lay undisturbed until 1965, when diver Alex Storm located it and recovered thousands of coins and artifacts.
Vessel
- 1717
- Not established
- Rochefort, France
- Wood
- 135 ft
- 31 ft
- 600
- Sail
- French Royal Navy
Loss
- August 27, 1725
- Storm
- Near Chameau Rock, Kelpy Cove, Cape Breton Island, off Louisbourg
- Atlantic Ocean, approach to Louisbourg
- La Rochelle, France → Louisbourg, Île-Royale (New France)
- Gold and silver coin intended to fund the colonial government, plus passengers' effects
- 316
- 316
- Jean de Saint-James
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Broken up on the rocks; site later located and partially salvaged
- Not established
- 1965
- Not established
Position
- Not established
- Position not established
- Near Louisbourg, Cape Breton Island
General location near Chameau Rock/Kelpy Cove is known from historical and salvage accounts, but a verified GPS position was not established in the sources reviewed.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (82/100)
Loss narrative, date, location, and salvage history.
Wikipedia, citing Demerliac naval nomenclature
Build details, dimensions, armament, and career.
