Photo by ronsaunders47 on Flickr.com. Used under Creative Commons Licence
Blackbeard, Long John Silver and Jack Sparrow – just fanciful tales of the high seas concocted by over-imaginative minds, right? Well, while the era of swashbuckling pirates and buccaneers has been overstated and exaggerated, there is, like many myths, a kernel of truth hidden inside these romantic stories. And even today as treasure hunters continue to search for buried riches, shipwrecks and the elusive X that marks the spot. Here is a look at five real treasure islands, each full of secrets, mysteries and a history of piracy.
St Kitts
Though first discovered by the great explorer Christopher Columbus, the Leeward Island of St Kitts is more famous for its swashbuckling past. It was in the late 17th century that the French hired the infamous pirate Captain Kidd to attack the island so that the British could be driven out. Yet, in true pirate fashion, Kidd double-crossed the French, attacking and stealing one of their naval galleons. St Kitts is also said to be home to the buried loot of another pirate, a former merchant captain named Owen Lloyd. Lloyd was alleged to have stolen 52 chests of silver from the Spanish, and to have buried them on many nearby islands. While most of the silver was eventually recovered, this has not stopped treasure hunters from speculating that some of the riches may still be stored underground somewhere on the island. If you are thinking about visiting St Kitts as part of your adventure camp, maybe you should consider bringing along a metal detector!
Gardiner’s Island, New York
They say X marks the spot, but on this island there is a handy plaque to help you out. Yes, while the buried treasure is long gone, the site where Captain Kidd once hid his stolen booty can be seen to this day on Gardiner’s Island, a small islet just off the coast of Long Island, New York. Shortly after Captain Kidd stole a vast amount of riches from an Armenian vessel in the Indian Ocean, capturing treasures such as satins, muslin, silk, gold and diamonds, he travelled to Gardiner’s Island to surreptitiously store his cache of goods. Yet, shortly after, Kidd was arrested, and landowners on the island were forced to return the treasure to the British government. Found guilty, Kidd was executed in full public view, hung in chains on the banks of the River Thames. Shiver me timbers!
New Providence, Bahamas
Now a well-regarded cruise destination and home to Nassau, the capital city of the Bahamas, New Providence, has a much darker history, full of bootleggers and buccaneers, violent raids and brutal sea battles. For it was on New Providence where the terrible pirate Blackbeard once operated, waging war on passing ships and all who dared to cross him. In fact, so powerful was Blackbeard during his stay here that he was even proclaimed to be magistrate of the island, instituting his very own justice system based on the principles of piracy i.e. anything was up for grabs. Even the Royal British Governor, who expelled Blackbeard from the island in 1718, could not curtail his pervasive, pernicious influence, and the island suffered his wrath until, in a bloody encounter, Blackbeard was captured and decapitated, his head displayed for all to see on his ship’s deck. Youth camp this isn’t!
Martinique
Known as the most exclusive and glamorous resort in the Caribbean, Martinique nevertheless hides a few sorry secrets from the era of piracy. It is from this island that Bartholemew Roberts, a violent Welsh pirate, led his band of men to spread terror across the seven seas. When the governor of the island put a price on Roberts’ head, the cunning pirate lured him into a trap, and promptly hung the governor on board his very own ship. Ancient legend also has it that Roberts left valuable treasure on Martinique, and to this day the isle is marked by smuggler’s coves and half-hidden beaches that evoke the buccaneering spirit.
Author: John is an adventure camp enthusiast, amateur pirate and world-wide treasure hunter.
