All Five Kidd Maps: The Same Island, Same Rocks, Same Procedure, Different Targets

[gjb]

All five of the Kidd maps, two attributed to Palmer and three to Wilkins, are targeting different points on the same design, using exactly the same procedure and to a high degree of accuracy. Furthermore, the distribution of the map points forms an obvious pattern. This surely can’t be coincidence and, if nothing else, it surely deserves to be properly investigated.

Why is there such an aversion to recognising that this actually happens? Forget which island this may be, set aside claims that the instructions are as fake as the island outlines, and focus on the real task at hand: what would the map instructions appear to indicate? It would seem that they are all part of a set, perhaps of seven maps targeting seven points (A to G in the image below).

The two Palmer Maps have been interpreted previously as potentially identifying two points (D and F) on the figure defined by the positioning of two rocks, two triangles and an intermediate point due south of the West Rock, which is now identified as indicating the presence of a tree, referenced by the Wilkins maps, as below.

As previously shown, the instructions on the two Palmer maps target the points D and F to within inches, . The instructions on the three Wilkins maps target the points labelled A, C and E, equidistant and in a straight line, also to within inches. Thus, the maps may be fictitious, but the instructions clearly aren’t.

This includes the ‘Flood Map’, just presented here by Cryptid1990, which I came across some thirty years ago while going through editions of The American Weekly. The instructions have been disguised by Wilkins, but can be seen (at bottom of the map) to be in the same form as the other two maps, that is:

50 feet N and by 8 feet W on Rock
20 feet NE Tree
5 feet by 4 feet by 5.

All the instructions are clearly cryptic, but they all work in exactly the same way. It should become apparent that the directions are more likely to start from the Rocks and the Tree rather than ending there. So, reverse the first two lines:

Locating Point C - variance from target 10 inches

Rock: 8 feet W and 50 feet N The offset from the East Rock is always specified first.
Tree 20 feet NE Thence find the centre of the triangle and then proceed:
5 feet by 4 feet by 5. 5 + 4 + (5 x 5) = 34 feet in the direction of the Rock Centre Line (due east).

The ‘8 feet west’ is read here as ‘8 feet south’ as it is slightly more accurate that way. So, mark a point 8 feet due south of the East Rock, another 50 feet due north of the West Rock, and then a point 20 feet true northeast of the Tree (45̊) and locate the centre of the triangle thus formed, just as was done with the Palmer maps. Then measure a distance of 5 + 4 + (5 x 5) feet = 34 feet due east (in the direction of the Rock Centre Line).

The last line is in exactly the same form as the ‘3 feet by 3 feet by Four’ seen previously on the Palmer ‘Coral Island Map’ identifying Point D and will be seen again on yet another Wilkins map identifying Point A.

As noted, the final variance or drift from target in this case is ten inches. The two Palmer maps are only off target by about six inches.

This very same procedure also applies to the two other Wilkins maps found in his book Captain Kidd and His Skeleton Island with the same degree of accuracy. The island outlines are clearly Wilkins’ creations, but the instructions are not.

 

[gjb]

All five instruction sets are being solved in exactly the same straightforward way: define three points and take an offset from the centre of the triangle thus formed, the latter being the absolute give-away provided by Palmer’s ‘Skeleton Map’ targeting Point F.

However, the simplicity of this procedure is disguised by introducing subterfuge but, nevertheless, it can be seen that common rules have been applied to the formatting of each of the instruction sets.

Having now seen three of the instruction sets exposed, it becomes easy to solve the other two. In fact, the instructions on the map on the endpapers of Wilkins’ book Captain Kidd and His Skeleton Island are solved in precisely the same way as is the ‘Flood Map’ in the Opening Post.

Locating Point A - variance from target 10 inches

18 NE and by 71 W on Rock
26 ENE 18 SW Tree
7 feet by 7 feet by 8.

Once again, the instructions are clearly cryptic, but they work in exactly the same way as above for Point C. Again, it should be apparent that the directions more than likely start from the Rocks and the Tree rather than ending there. So, just as before, reverse the first two lines, thus:

Rock: 71 W and 18 NE :- The unit here is the fathom, as with the ‘Coral Island Map’.
Tree 18 SW, 26 ENE :- Then find the centre of the triangle and proceed:
7 feet by 7 feet by 8 :- 7 + 7 + (8 x 7) = 70 feet in the direction of the Rock Centre Line (due east).

As can readily be appreciated, this is no different from the way the previous map was solved, as below.

As seen previously, the offset from the East Rock is always specified first. So, mark a point 71 fathoms due west of the East Rock and another 18 fathoms true northeast (45̊) of the West Rock. Then mark a point 18 fathoms true southwest of the Tree (225̊) and from that point mark another at 26 fathoms east-northeast (22.5̊). Locate the centre of the triangle thus formed, as previously. Then measure a distance of 7 + 7 + (8 x 7) feet = 70 feet in the direction of the Rock Centre Line, that is, due east.

The last line is in exactly the same form as the ‘3 feet by 3 feet by Four’ = 18 feet seen previously on the Palmer ‘Coral Island Map’ identifying Point D and with the Wilkins ‘Flood Map’ as ‘5 feet by 4 feet by 5' = 34 feet when identifying Point C .

As noted, the final variance or drift from target is ten inches.

This procedure also applies to the other Wilkins maps found in Captain Kidd and His Skeleton Island, which targets Point E with slightly less of a drift, though having an additional subterfuge and mechanism on the last line.

 

[BennyV]

All five instruction sets are being solved in exactly the same straightforward way: define three points and take an offset from the centre of the triangle thus formed, the latter being the absolute give-away provided by Palmer’s ‘Skeleton Map’ targeting Point F.

However, the simplicity of this procedure is disguised by introducing subterfuge but, nevertheless, it can be seen that common rules have been applied to the formatting of each of the instruction sets.

Having now seen three of the instruction sets exposed, it becomes easy to solve the other two. In fact, the instructions on the map on the endpapers of Wilkins’ book Captain Kidd and His Skeleton Island are solved in precisely the same way as is the ‘Flood Map’ in the Opening Post.

Locating Point A - variance from target 10 inches

18 NE and by 71 W on Rock
26 ENE 18 SW Tree
7 feet by 7 feet by 8.

Once again, the instructions are clearly cryptic, but they work in exactly the same way as above for Point C. Again, it should be apparent that the directions more than likely start from the Rocks and the Tree rather than ending there. So, just as before, reverse the first two lines, thus:

Rock: 71 W and 18 NE :- The unit here is the fathom, as with the ‘Coral Island Map’.
Tree 18 SW, 26 ENE :- Then find the centre of the triangle and proceed:
7 feet by 7 feet by 8 :- 7 + 7 + (8 x 7) = 70 feet in the direction of the Rock Centre Line (due east).

As can readily be appreciated, this is no different from the way the previous map was solved, as below.

View attachment 2218558

As seen previously, the offset from the East Rock is always specified first. So, mark a point 71 fathoms due west of the East Rock and another 18 fathoms true northeast (45̊) of the West Rock. Then mark a point 18 fathoms true southwest of the Tree (225̊) and from that point mark another at 26 fathoms east-northeast (22.5̊). Locate the centre of the triangle thus formed, as previously. Then measure a distance of 7 + 7 + (8 x 7) feet = 70 feet in the direction of the Rock Centre Line, that is, due east.

The last line is in exactly the same form as the ‘3 feet by 3 feet by Four’ = 18 feet seen previously on the Palmer ‘Coral Island Map’ identifying Point D and with the Wilkins ‘Flood Map’ as ‘5 feet by 4 feet by 5' = 34 feet when identifying Point C .

As noted, the final variance or drift from target is ten inches.

This procedure also applies to the other Wilkins maps found in Captain Kidd and His Skeleton Island, which targets Point E with slightly less of a drift, though having an additional subterfuge and mechanism on the last line.

You must be an engineer or something.

 

[releventchair]

You must be an engineer or something.

Ya , I like a good tea-Pot or flint pistol profile to the island. The rest is trivial.

 

[gjb]

The third and last of the Wilkins maps discussed here is perhaps the best known. An attempt was first made to interpret the instructions in 1937, but naturally without the help of pointers derived from efforts to solve the other four maps in the collection identified up to the present day.

With what has been so far deduced about the apparent objectives of the instruction sets, it becomes fairly easy to identify the mechanics of the solution to this set since some of the thinking has previously been postulated by Gilbert Hedden and the author Rupert Furneaux. The instructions are:

18 W and by 7 E on Rock
30 SW, 14 N Tree
7 By 8 By 4.

Locating Point E - variance from target 6 inches

As seen with the two previous Wilkins instruction sets, the directions would most likely start from the Rocks and the Tree rather than ending at them, so reverse the first two lines as before. Thus, we have:

Rock: 7 E and 18 W
Tree 14 N 30 SW
7 By 8 By 4.

However, each of these instructions would send you in completely the opposite way to expected, so it would appear that there is an additional subterfuge. It turns out that you simply have to reverse the bearings. This is what Gilbert Hedden actually did with the first line in 1937, though he failed to do the same with the second line. However, he correctly figured out that the unit of measure throughout the instruction set is the British rod of 16.5 feet. Thus, we have:

Rock: 7 E and 18 W :- which becomes: Rock: 7 W and 18 E
Tree 14 N 30 SW :- which becomes: Tree 14 S, 30 NE
7 By 8 By 4 :- note well no unit (or change of unit) is specified, differing from the preceding two instruction sets.

As before, the first two lines provide two points, one 7 rods due west of the East Rock and the other 18 rods due east of the West Rock, the offset from the East Rock being specified first in all cases.

The third point of the triangle is located by measuring 14 rods due south of the Tree and then 30 rods true northeast (45̊) from there. Then find the centre of the triangle thus formed, as before.

The specified offset from the centre of the triangle (that is, 7 by 8 by 4) does not include a unit, so the same unit, the rod, would seem to apply, though if interpreted as previously this would identify a point a considerable distance from the other map points. To be consistent, the most obvious target point would be either E or G.

Rupert Furneaux surmised that 7 by 8 by 4 might be specifying the sides of a right angle triangle. This would have internal angles of approximately 30, 60 and 90 degrees which all happen to be prominent angles in the underlying schema (see the first diagram of the Opening Post).

It can be appreciated that were such a triangle described as below then its centre would fall exactly on Point E.

As observed, the final variance is a mere six inches off target. It can be seen, then, that the three instruction sets provided by Wilkins identify points A, C and E which lie equidistant upon a straight line. The instructions on the Palmer maps identify points D and F with Point E being exactly in the middle. Thus, these three points are also equidistant and in a straight line.

It may reasonably be asked whether this could be sheer coincidence or if it might suggest intent, considering that all five instruction sets target five points on a geometrical pattern with such precision.

It should also not be overlooked that this entire interpretation depends on the specific placing of the two rocks and the tree. If these are not specified precisely then the instructions simply wouldn’t work. These points are positioned geometrically, so their precise locations can be calculated to eight decimal places if required.

Therefore, outright denial of the preceding interpretations based on pure accident or coincidence would effectively be stating that substituting all the numbers and all the bearings with completely random values would reproduce the underlying schema and place all the ground markers in the exact positions shown, and also match the instructions to the targets with the accuracy achieved here, that is, to within inches.

I simply cannot imagine that this would be considered so, the odds against it being phenomenal. This would suggest that the reconstruction should not be so immediately dismissed, as it widely is, without a professional assessment of the underlying mathematics and thereafter testing on the ground and also against existing professional survey plans of the island.

However, as is so common here, people declare that they know for a fact that the answer to the maps is not geometrical without there having been any professional mathematical assessment, or any investigation and testing, of a proposal that they outright deny may be the solution to the instruction sets on the five maps.

 

[gjb]

There is one more point of interest to note. Of seven potentially significant points forming the extended rhombus pattern, five are targeted by instruction sets on known maps these being Points A, C, D, E and F. While there are no known maps for Points B and G, the latter is particularly interesting.

This lies at the spot where somebody actually dug a hole eight feet in diameter to a depth of about 18 feet and later filled it in. The site is known as the Cave-In Pit: the surface having been compacted the soil underneath settled to form a void and a plough team eventually fell into it.

We know where the pit was located due to a letter from Gilbert Heden to Rupert Furneaux reporting that it lay 20 feet south of the point 7 rods (115.5 feet) west of the East Rock on a line leading straight to the West Rock, as below:

The significance of somebody digging a fairly deep hole at one of the Map Points should not be overlooked. Perhaps, somebody had a map directing them to this location, and the hole was dug with the expectation of uncovering a deposit. Alternatively, might the person responsible for the enterprise have used this spot to deposit something temporarily and filled in the hole when it had served its purpose?

 

[gjb]

To summarise, the matching of the maps to the points on the pattern forming the ‘W’ are shown below.

It's felt that these need not necessarily be points at which to dig, but perhaps to provide a focus directing attention to the centre of the figure at the point labelled ‘X’.

There is far more to the maps and to the suggested procedure, discussed elsewhere, but the final variations of the mapped points against their respective targets are summarised below.

The average variance from target is 7.8 inches (20cm).