The Treasure of Captain William Kidd.

[BennyV]

Thanks, good to know. At least a documented place he stopped on his way. I always wonder why people look for that island in so many places because his journey is more or less documented. His crew would have corrected the account given of his voyage.

Given that he claimed to have hidden a that extremely valuable treasure one can assume that the authorities would have questioned any crew they could get hold on about any landfall. Also I am quite sure his crew was suspicious of him hiding anything out of the bounty. For what is well documented they didn't like or trust him very much!

He didn’t trust them and they didn’t trust him.

I think Kidd was definitely a calculating kind of guy who protected his backend just in case. I think the treasure is real and within a day’s sail from NYC.

 

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[The Rebel]

I do wonder if the treasure really is on Charles Island.

I've been on the island a few times in my life but l do remember a large rock l saw as a kid and wondered if it was buried there. I'll have to go back and look, but due to the 30+ years, erosion, hurricanes and other storms, the island has changed.

 

[Bocaj]

Some variation of the key map I found on the net.

Does anyone know the source of it?

 

[TORRERO]

He didn’t trust them and they didn’t trust him.

I think Kidd was definitely a calculating kind of guy who protected his backend just in case. I think the treasure is real and within a day’s sail from NYC.

You understand don't you that someone had to unload and haul and bury that treasure wherever it is, unless he killed those who did that work, he had to trust someone...

 

[Bocaj]

You understand don't you that someone had to unload and haul and bury that treasure wherever it is, unless he killed those who did that work, he had to trust someone...

As we calculated above assuming that Kidd's estimate of the value in the 17th century was right and around 2/3 of it was gold I came to a minimum of 450kg. Quite a weight to move around! That means at least someone else must have known its location.

If he killed those who carried it then it could hardly be of his crew. He was tried for the murder of one quite disputable death (his gunner) - hard to imagine they would not have persecuted him for some crew members disappearance!

He could have used slaves he bought locally but that also would have carried some risks. Simply keeping them controlled and also while being property their disappearance would have been at least noticed.

I understand that those facts were also known to the authorities and that might very well be the reason why they hanged him ignoring his offer to bring them to the treasure. It is simply to strange a story that anyone who can count one and one together could have fallen for it in the 17th century.

 

[Randawg72]

View attachment 2204641
Some variation of the key map I found on the net.

Does anyone know the source of it?

I think this "map" was used in a newspaper or magazine article in the 1950's.
A comical and very inaccurate recreation of the 'Key' chart. They even added verbiage from the 'Coral' chart at the top. It's especially amusing that they misinterpreted the coordinates, and even changed the N in the Lat to the Roman numeral 'IV'.

 

[BennyV]

As we calculated above assuming that Kidd's estimate of the value in the 17th century was right and around 2/3 of it was gold I came to a minimum of 450kg. Quite a weight to move around! That means at least someone else must have known its location.

If he killed those who carried it then it could hardly be of his crew. He was tried for the murder of one quite disputable death (his gunner) - hard to imagine they would not have persecuted him for some crew members disappearance!

He could have used slaves he bought locally but that also would have carried some risks. Simply keeping them controlled and also while being property their disappearance would have been at least noticed.

I understand that those facts were also known to the authorities and that might very well be the reason why they hanged him ignoring his offer to bring them to the treasure. It is simply to strange a story that anyone who can count one and one together could have fallen for it in the 17th century.

450kg is around 1000 pounds. Yes it’s a lot, but nothing crazy. A few trips with some help (man or beast) or multiple trips alone and that would do it. I’m not sure the value of gems back in the day so I can’t speak to that. Easier to carry and much lighter.

He left about 50 pounds of gold and 50 pounds of silver on Gardiner’s Island. Which would lead me to believe he probably had a bunch of caches around the same size more or less. Easier to spread it out by yourself versus having it all in one spot, which he could easily lose everything in one foul swoop.