She sailed from the Downs on 18 January 1719, bound for Madras, and under the command of Captain Robert Hyde (or Hide).

[2] Her loss provided the opportunity for what may have been the first, or at least an early operational trial of a diving suit.

The British Royal Navy provided the frigate HMS Launceston to protect them from pirates.

The salvors recovered substantial quantities of silver from Vansittart using a suit that Jacob Rowe had designed and then patented in 1720.

When the operations finished on 2 August, the salvors had recovered almost 75K ounces of the 141K ounces of silver that she had carried, as well as 878 slabs of lead, plus guns and anchors.