Pirate treasure location?

[GaBnn3]

If some sailors found a pirate's personal chest, after their man-o-war prevailed in a sea battle, and they then concealed it on a beach for later recovery, without their officers knowledge, while their ship was in port, what type of location would they have chosen? (i.e. above high water mark, etc.)

 

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[salkns]

Are you looking for an educated guess? Or just opinions? Or is this a trick question?

 

[GaBnn3]

Educated guess would have been fine. I have no knowledge of seafaring, and hoped for input from someone with sailing experience, who could have given a sailor's perspective. However, upon visiting the area, I'm convinced the treasure is unrecoverable. This was the treasure of pirate captain Charles Harris, concealed in Newport, R.I. The smugglers are reported to have concealed the chest on the opposite shore from the harbor. In interpreting this info in a logical manner, I conclude that the chest was brought there by boat, rather than overland, which would have avoided the crowds and turmoil of Newport during the largest pirate trial ever held. Further, I see no reason they would have brought it overland, only to bury it along the shore. This being the case, there is only one safe landing along this area of rocky cliffs. That landing is now in an area of multi-million dollar mansions, and maintained by a sea wall, built to preserve the coast. There is a narrow publicly accessible scenic walkway along the cliffs, around the exterior of the Newport mansions. Assuming that the smugglers knew enough to bury the chest well above the high water line, this chest is now under the beautifully manicured lawn of one of these mansions. Though, I'm still open to suggestions.

 

[salkns]

GaBnn3, I can't say that my guess is educated, but I see your perdicament. I have read several times that you should go about it as though you were the pirate yourself. It sounds as though you have. Another thing I would try is to surf the net and see where pirate treasure has been found, and draw some similarities. For example, How far inland was it compared to where the shore was at the approximate time it was buried? What were the landmarks that were used? Trees? Hills? Large boulders? Also, finding a map of the island or peninsula, or where ever it is from as close to the time of burial and looking at what was there at the time. Maybe if there are preconstruction photos of the area before the homes were built. Stuff like that. I have found great amounts of photos and maps and stuff like that of my home town in our local library. They have a section on the history of the area that is nothing but old maps, photos, settler accounts, etc. Hope this might spark some ideas for you. Happy Hunting!!!

 

[GaBnn3]

Thanks for the input. This chest was actually uncovered following a storm in the 1940's. Some teen girls found it, but couldn't budge it. They vowed to return, but, before they could, another storm reburied it, and they could never be sure where it was. This was the exact thing that happend to the sailors who buried it. I conclude that the storm surge, when retreating after the storm, uncovered the chest. Which means that it was not that far inland, unlike, for example, Kidd who went on inland excursions to conceal treasure. They probably intended to conceal it only for a short while, until the pirate trial was over, waiting to see if the subject of the captain's chest arose during the trial. When it didn't, they were free to retrieve it. But, mother nature had stepped in to spoil those plans. The area is, for the most part, cliffs. I looked for areas where a boat could have been landed, and where storm surge could have gone far enough inland to wash out an area close to that landing. I found such a spot, but can't aford the real estate where it's located.

 

[salkns]

Any way you could get permission to hunt the land? Maybe through a real estate agent who has the property listed. Is it listed for sale? What's the asking price?

 

[GaBnn3]

Like I said, multi-million dollar mansions. If you have to ask the price, you can't afford it. If these are listed someplace, it's not my daily newspaper. In any case, I intend to avoid any kind of publicity when going about searching. Thanks for responding.

 

[shellback]

Tell ya what I am from that area so I know the mentalaity of the local law lets you and I head over to the back yards or what ever the property looks like and we will do it at night if we have to but by hook or crook we will find it...har ahr if we get caught well "We'll be walking the plank matee"