Anyone Believe in Gasparilla?

[slotjunkie777]

I've seen this map, that was supposely engraved on the back of a copper plate, that suggests where Jose Gasparilla buried his booty.. I heard rumors of tree marking on Pine Island and on Capitiva, but I never have personally seen any..
So, here's a pic of the engraving.........anyone have any clues as to what the word
VER means?

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[MD Dog]

Jose' and I used to hang out down Tampa Bay way drinkin tequila an breakin laws n sh!t. 8)

[Salvor6]

Yes there were pirates in Charlotte Harbor. They say that Jose didn't exist but his exploits were the description of several pirates that lived in the CH area.

[DiggingFl]

DECIPHRED

VER LOOK
VAR ROD
LEAGUE MILE
HASTA GOODBYE X S

O-NWW1/4 LOOK FOR ROD
0-SWW1/10 LOOK FOR ROD


Which makes.......


0 ?NWW DEGREE 337 AT 1320 FEET LOOK FOR ROD
0-SWW DEGREE 236 528 FEET LOOK FOR ROD
0-W DEGREE 270 264 FEET LOOK FOR CHEST
0 - ANCHOR 0 DEGRESS O FEET O SPOT


Yes I pirated someone Else's work. Bob

[chipveres]

If you would like an authentic pirate from the Florida west coast / panhandle; look up William Augustus Bowles, AKA Billy Bowlegs. Be sure to get the first one as there were also Billy Bowlegs Jr. and the Third.

Chip V.

[FloridaBill]

check this out, scrolll down to GASPARILLA ISLAND

http://www.treasuresites.com/members/swf.htm

[JoeSWFla]

Most people say Jose Gaspar didn't exist,and was just a tale to make
money off touist. A local researcher said he believed he did exist
because of old maps seen in archives in Europe.I don't think he went
along with a lot of the tales,but thought he did exist due to the dating
of the maps.I've also heard a lot of people say that pirates didn't
bury treasure.That has been proved wrong quite a few times already.
I'm sure they usually dug it up again,unless they died or couldn't find
the location again due to storms/landmark changes.Probably a few
still to be found,but pretty deep if inland at all,as things sink in sand if
they have any weight at all.Then there are all the caches from ship
wreck survivers,many of which never made it back to civilization.A nice
find for some lucky individual.HH Joe

[slotjunkie777]

Wow, thanks for the reply... !

DECIPHRED

VER LOOK
VAR ROD
LEAGUE MILE
HASTA GOODBYE X S

O-NWW1/4 LOOK FOR ROD
0-SWW1/10 LOOK FOR ROD


Which makes.......


0 ?NWW DEGREE 337 AT 1320 FEET LOOK FOR ROD
0-SWW DEGREE 236 528 FEET LOOK FOR ROD
0-W DEGREE 270 264 FEET LOOK FOR CHEST
0 - ANCHOR 0 DEGRESS O FEET O SPOT


Yes I pirated someone Else's work. Bob

[lawsan]

IMHO I believe there was a Gasparilla. I don't believe him to be a single man though. Just a name made up by a few pirates working together. Kind of like a pirates union local #1.
The area was thick with pirates back in the day. Many of the islands in the area are named by them.
Captiva - a prison for concubines
gasparilla island (boca grande)
lovers key - Calico Jack named it for anne bonny and lived there for years with his new wife.
useppa island - said to be named by gasparilla for joseppa the beautiful.
That is Just a few.

As for the map I am sure it is a fake. It was found in john Gomez's cabin after he died @ 120 years old. He in fact did exist. Did he live to be 120 years old? I doubt it. Considering he lived alone on panther key in 10,000 islands not a nice place today can only imagine how bad it was then. The age of 120 is what he would had to have been if he sailed with gasparilla.

Are you in the area? I live in FT Myers beach I do treasure hunt underwater, but don't do any MD'ing. If you do let me know I would like to take someone with an MD to the old Gomez camp. I know where the cabin was.

I will shut up now.

[godisnum1]

That's really interesting...

Well my home is in St. Petersburg, but I go to college in Missouri.
If I happen to come home this Summer, I might take you up on going to MD at the Gomez camp.

Bran <><

[lawsan]

That's really interesting...

Well my home is in St. Petersburg, but I go to college in Missouri.
If I happen to come home this Summer, I might take you up on going to MD at the Gomez camp.

Bran <><

Sure drop me a note when you come home.

[godisnum1]

Sure drop me a note when you come home.

Sounds good!

Bran <><

[lawsan]

The map itself actually looks like the swamp gold legend. It is said to be up shark river where it meets the harney river by camel humps.

Who knows I still think good "old John" Is laghing his ass off at it.

[godisnum1]

I don't think it has anything to do with the Confederate Gold in the Everglades...
But I think I am coming to the conclusion that the map in question is (was) for real.
And whoever "deciphered" the map in the previous post (not DiggingFl) did a VERY horrible job!?
If they end up following those directions, I hope they do get lost on Seminole land... because that's what their poor research deserves.

Bran <><

[neo2868]

I for one believe Jose Gaspar existed. Jack Beater, an author on florida life, compiled what amounted to over 50 years of research on him (this can be verified by searching the Florida archives). The man's house where the plates were found was named Juan Gonzalez not Juan Gomez. Juan Gomez was Gaspar's Brother In Law. Gonzalez was just someone that had pirated with Gaspar and he lived on Shell Creek not on Panther Key.
The story says that, according to Captain Ernie Hall, ther was an old Spaniard that lived on Shell creek whom claimed to have pirated with Gasparilla. He also claimed to have known where Gaspar burried one of his treasure casks. As he was getting up in age, he made a deal with two cattlemen from Punta Gorda ways, to dig up the treasure and deposit it in a safe place for the old pirate until his demise. Upon his death the two cattlemen were to split what was left. WHen the two men returned to Gonzalez' cabin with a skiff and an ox cart as per agreement, he was too sick to go as he was prone to spells, but told the two men that he would be well enough to go in a few days, when they returned again they found him dead on and old pile of rags he was using as a bed. After they planted him in the Christian manner, toes up, they searched his cabin and found an old jar 1/3 full of gold and silver coins and two copper plates that were crudely etched with the symbols: O-X-NXW 1/4 W -VER -VAR
LEGUA 1/10
O-X-SWXW-VER-VAR
HASTA X

Also it should be noted that hasta in spanish means until not goodbye, goodbye is adios. I have studied this code for quite some time and I have my own opinions on what it means, If I am right then you will hear about it in the news and if I am wrong then I will continue to try to solve this cipher. I did not post this to start any arguments or step on anyone's toes, I have simply just posted my own knowlege of this story(as I have the book this story was first introduced in) and my own opinions. If you don't believe in Gaspar that is fine, I just happen to. And if you do, then this is some info that can go into your collection.

[lawsan]

You are correct. I should not drink and post.

Historically there was a man named Jose gaspar. true
My interest in gasparilla is coincidental. I am researching a lost shipment of gold from New Orleans to France and all fingers point to "Gasparilla". They would have had to have a small fleet of ships to take this one out. The shipment of gold and the crew were lost in the Charlotte harbor area in the same time frame our buddies were rapping and pillaging there.

What would $11,250,000 of gold then be worth today?

When i find it you will not here about it in the news. I will be long gone

[lawsan]

Neo,
Do you believe that all these men lived to be between 117 and 122 years old?
Talking about Juan Gomez, and Gonzalez Sr and Jr.

[neo2868]

at the time of this story juan gonzalez was an old man and this story took place right after the civil war (I believe around 1867) so it is possible that this story has some legitimacy to it...as for capt ernie hall, he wrote a column for the fort meyers news press called "On the Waterfront"during the 1950's and told this story to jack beater for his book. Capt ernie hall claims to have personally seen these plates, and he was an established columnist for a local paper (so his reputation was important) soI believe that this story is true...otherwise it is an extremely elaborate hoax. Also it would stand to reason that these plates would be in a local museum or a historical society exhibit.

[lawsan]

I have heard they are in a museum in Miami. But don't quote me. I sure would like to see them.

Do you know anything about the Louisiana purchase payment? And how it ties in with Gasparilla?

[DOCC77]

Hi All...
Ive lived in the punta gorda area for some time and researched gaspar and gomez.I have found some information on the issue and would love to concur with others and "team up" to find this cache...PM me if you guys are interested.This information I got from an old timer about three yrs ago before he died...I think its worth going for...who's with me?Im totally serious about this!!