Is this £17,000 silver ingot part of Capt Kidd’s lost treasure?
HE was a ruthless 17th century pirate whose missing booty, said to be worth £ 12million, still inspires treasure hunters today.
Now a part of Captain William Kidd’s legendary lost fortune has apparently been recovered from the sea, in the shape of a silver bar weighing 110lb (50kg).
This was brought ashore last week on the island of Sainte Marie, Madagascar, after being found by a team of divers led by US underwater archaeological explorer Barry Clifford.
Mr Clifford yesterday presented the silver bar to Madagascar’s president, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, at a ceremony attended by UK and US diplomats on the island.
Captain Kidd, who was born in Greenock, Renfrewshire, in 1645, was said to have amassed treasure worth £100,000 – £12million in today’s money – before he was arrested for piracy and murder.
It is believed that he buried a cache somewhere during his travels and at his trial in London, in 1701, the pirate tried to barter his knowledge of i ts l ocation in return for his life. His plan failed and he was sentenced to hang.
After his death, Captain Kidd’s body was dipped i n tar and strung up beside the River Thames to deter others from a life of maritime crime.
The treasure has never been found, but experts believe the silver bar discovered in the Indian Ocean, itself worth more than £17,000 at today’s prices, could
‘Tried to barter for his life’
be part of the f amous l oot. Captain Kidd’s exploits are said to have inspired Robert Louis Stevenson when he was writing Treasure Island.
Madagascar-based journalist Martin Vogl said that officials, including UK ambassador Timothy Smart, are hoping the discovery will raise the island’s profile, especially for tourists.
Captain Kidd was tried for piracy and the alleged murder of one of his crewmen, who died in 1697.
At his trial, a small cache of treasure which he had buried on Gardiners Island, New York – including gold dust, silver bars, Spanish dollars, rubies, diamonds and candlesticks – was recovered and used as evidence against him.
Captain Kidd’s hanging was not straightforward. Two ropes broke before a third held firm and he died on the gallows.
The buccaneer operated across the world, from the Atlantic to the Far East, as well as in the Indian Ocean.
Searches for his treasure have been carried out in locations ranging from the Eastern Seaboard of the US, to the Caribbean and the South China Sea.
Ironically, the Crown initially appointed Captain Kidd, a successful sea captain, to tackle piracy and capture enemy French ships.
But it is believed that the Scot turned to piracy four years before his death.
Experts think the silver bar comes from the wreck of his ship, Adventure Galley.