The Book of Buried Treasure: Being a True History of the Gold, Jewels, and Plate of Pirates, Galleons, etc., which are sought for to this dayPaine, Ralph Delahaye
History
The Book of Buried Treasure: Being a True History of the Gold, Jewels, and Plate of Pirates, Galleons, etc., which are sought for to this day
Paine, Ralph Delahaye
Treasure troves
"They searched Kidd's lodgings and found hid and made up in two sea
beds a bag of gold dust and Ingots of the value of about 1000 pounds
and a bag of silver, part money and part pieces and piggs of silver,
value as set down in the said Inventory. In the above bag of gold were
several little bags of gold; all particulars are very justly and
exactly set down in the Inventory. For my part I have meddled with no
matter of thing under the management of the Council, and into the
Custody of the aforementioned Committee, that I might be free from the
suspicion and censure of the world.
"The enamel'd box mentioned in the beginning of the Inventory is that
which Kidd made a present of to my wife by Mr. Campbell, which I
delivered in Council to the said Committee to keep with the rest of the
treasure. There was in it a stone ring which we take to be a Bristol
stone. If it was true[5] it would be worth about 40 pounds, and there
was a small stone unset which we believe is also counterfeit, and a
sort of a Locket with four sparks which seem to be right diamonds: for
there's nobody that understands Jewels[6] ... box and all that's in it
were right, they cannot be worth above 60 pounds.
"Your Lordships will see in the middle of the Inventory a parcel of
treasure and Jewels delivered up by Mr. Gardiner of Gardiner's Island
in the province of New York and at the East end of Nassau Island, the
recovery and saving of which treasure is owing to my own care and
quickness. I heard by the greatest accident in the world the day Capt.
Kidd was committed, that a man[6] ... offered 30 pounds for a sloop to
carry him to Gardiner's Island, and Kidd having owned to burying some
gold on that Island (though he never mentioned to us any jewels nor do
I believe he would have own'd to the gold there but that he thought he
should himself be sent for it), I privately posted away a messenger to
Mr. Gardiner in the King's name to come forthwith and deliver up such
treasure as Kidd or any of his crew had lodg'd with him, acquainting
him that I had committed Kidd to Gaol as I was ordered to do by the
King.
"My messenger made great haste and was with Gardiner before anybody,
and Gardiner, who is a very substantial man, brought away the treasure
without delay; and by my direction delivered it into the hands of the
Committee. If the Jewels be right, as 'tis suppos'd they are, but I
never saw them nor the gold and silver brought by Gardiner, then we
guess that the parcel brought by him may be worth (gold, silver, and
Jewels) 4500 pounds. And besides Kidd had left six bales of goods with
him, one of which was twice as big as any of the rest, and Kidd gave
him a particular charge of that bale and told him 'twas worth 2000
pounds. The six bales Gardiner could not bring, but I have ordered him
to send 'em by a Sloop that is since gone from hence to N. York, and
which is to return speedily.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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