Where William Kidd Hid His Pirate Treasure Is Still An Enduring Mystery
Long ago, the vast oceans were ruled by ruthless pirates who roamed the waves in search of adventure and treasure.
One of the most notable of these daring buccaneers is Captain William Kidd. He was notorious for being a privateer who turned to the ways of piracy.
He only ever captured one ship during his time as a pirate, but the rumor that he buried a large amount of treasure that nobody has been able to locate has made him a legend.
In 2015, a team of archaeologists found part of Captain Kidd’s treasure in a shipwreck off the coast of Madagascar.
They were diving in the shallow waters off Saint Marie Island when they discovered a 121-pound bar of silver. They had been investigating the area for the remains of William Kidd’s ship, the Adventure Galley.
William Kidd is said to have been born in Dundee, Scotland, in 1654. He gained command of the Adventure Galley in 1695 after the English government hired him to track down pirates in the Indian Ocean.
He set sail with a crew of 150 men. According to the story, he was not successful in finding pirates, so he became one himself.
In late January 1698, Kidd and his crew attacked the Quedah Merchant. They made out with some valuable cargo, including silk, calico, muslin, sugar, opium, iron, and 70,000 pounds.
The Quedah Merchant was renamed the Adventure Prize, which Kidd kept. He was forced to abandon the Adventure Galley, as the vessel was no longer fit for sailing. That was when his crew deserted him for another pirate captain.
Carlos – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
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When Kidd arrived in the West Indies in 1699, he realized that he was now considered a pirate. Additionally, piracy was now a criminal act in England.
He managed to be granted a pardon from the English government for his actions, claiming that he had been forced to turn to piracy.
Then, he headed toward Boston. Along the way, he stopped to bury his treasure on Gardiner’s Island and Block Island. Later on, some of the booty on Gardiner’s Island was recovered.
The New England governor, Lord Richard Bellomont, had been an investor in Kidd’s failed voyage to hunt down pirates.
He had Kidd arrested in Boston and sent back to England. Back in England, he was tried and executed for piracy in 1701.
His corpse was left at the mouth of the Thames River to serve as an example to other pirates or anyone contemplating the pirate life.
After his death, the legend of his treasures grew. One enduring myth is that his bounty is located on Oak Island, Nova Scotia.
The island is filled with natural tunnel systems and other landforms that make hunting for treasure difficult.
The Oak Island curse states that seven people must die before the treasure can be found. So far, six men have lost their lives in search of the stash.
Perhaps the discovery of the big silver bar will point people in the right direction, and the mystery of Captain Kidd’s buried treasure will finally be solved.
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