Here's a bit of trivia:

Wm. Kidd's treasure has a direct relationship to both the prime Meridian and
the British Naval Academy.

Although novelists and romantics have speculated that Kidd's haul from the
Queda Merchant was buried on some tropical island or along the eastern shore of
the US, the facts of the case are more straightforward.

Sixty percent of the prize was distributed to Kidd's men when most of his crew
deserted Kidd to join forces with Robt. Collover at St. Mary's on Madagascar.
The distribution was in accordance with the second set of "articles" Kidd was
forced to accept after leaving New York. Kidd retained just over 40% of the
plate and merchandise (along with the Queda Merchant herself) when he and a
dozen or so remaining crewmen sailed from Madagascar to Hispaniola.

In Hispaniola, Kidd discovered he had been renounced as a pirate by his
partners in the expedition (all close allies to Wm III- and the King had a
scarcely concealed 10% interest in the voyage as well). Kidd used a portion of
the remaining treasure to purchase the sloop "Antonio" for the final leg of his
voyage to meet with Governor Bellomont in Boston. He cached some of the
treasure on Gardiner's Island, and turned most of the remainder over to his
partner Bellomont under the foolish assumption that he would be able to
disprove the ridiculous charges of piracy.

Kidd's betrayal was complete and final, however, and he was sent to England to
be tried for piracy. (Capital crimes could not be tried in the colonies during
those days.....)

After Kidd was hanged, none of the partners dared to risk the scandal of coming
forward to claim their respective shares in his voyage. Eventually, the
monarchy "accepted" the confiscated treasure as payment for the royal estates
at Greenwich- a site now famous for the discovery of methods for calculating
longitude (home of the Prime Meridian) and closely associated with the British
Naval Academy.

The officers who extended the British domination of the sea into the 19th (and
somewhat into the 20th) century were, in many cases, trained in a facility
financed posthumously by the "notorious pirate" Wm. Kidd.

If you're looking for Captain Kidd's treasure, we may have it.
see http://www.activemind.com/Mysterious...and/story.html

Gould 0738 wrote in message
...
Here's a bit of trivia:

Wm. Kidd's treasure has a direct relationship to both the prime Meridian
and
the British Naval Academy.

Although novelists and romantics have speculated that Kidd's haul from the
Queda Merchant was buried on some tropical island or along the eastern
shore of
the US, the facts of the case are more straightforward.

Sixty percent of the prize was distributed to Kidd's men when most of his
crew
deserted Kidd to join forces with Robt. Collover at St. Mary's on
Madagascar.
The distribution was in accordance with the second set of "articles" Kidd
was
forced to accept after leaving New York. Kidd retained just over 40% of
the
plate and merchandise (along with the Queda Merchant herself) when he and
a
dozen or so remaining crewmen sailed from Madagascar to Hispaniola.

In Hispaniola, Kidd discovered he had been renounced as a pirate by his
partners in the expedition (all close allies to Wm III- and the King had a
scarcely concealed 10% interest in the voyage as well). Kidd used a
portion of
the remaining treasure to purchase the sloop "Antonio" for the final leg
of his
voyage to meet with Governor Bellomont in Boston. He cached some of the
treasure on Gardiner's Island, and turned most of the remainder over to
his
partner Bellomont under the foolish assumption that he would be able to
disprove the ridiculous charges of piracy.

Kidd's betrayal was complete and final, however, and he was sent to
England to
be tried for piracy. (Capital crimes could not be tried in the colonies
during
those days.....)

After Kidd was hanged, none of the partners dared to risk the scandal of
coming
forward to claim their respective shares in his voyage. Eventually, the
monarchy "accepted" the confiscated treasure as payment for the royal
estates
at Greenwich- a site now famous for the discovery of methods for
calculating
longitude (home of the Prime Meridian) and closely associated with the
British
Naval Academy.

The officers who extended the British domination of the sea into the 19th
(and
somewhat into the 20th) century were, in many cases, trained in a facility
financed posthumously by the "notorious pirate" Wm. Kidd.

If you're looking for Captain Kidd's treasure, we may have it.
see http://www.activemind.com/Mysterious...and/story.html

Ah yes. Oak Island.

Nothing to do with Kidd, I'm afraid. Remember, he had only dozen men with him
when he left Madagascar. A project similar to Oak Island would have required a
massive workforce at the beginning of the
18th Century.

Furthermore, there was no reason to stash
treasure. The majority of any prize was due and payable to the crew. The east
coast of Colonial North America was filled with shopkeepers, etc, who were only
too glad to do business (at special rates, of course), with voyagers on
account. It would be easier to spend it than to hide it.
:-)

This is a timely topic.
Apparently, a former Floridian, who has spent half his life searching for
the Oak Island treasurer thinks he has the answer now even though he hasn't
earned a dime yet.
Those Florida boys are a little slow to catch on...eh NOYB?
see *** http://www.herald.ns.ca/stories/2003.../f168.raw.html ***
drop down to 'Treasure Hunter.......'

Gould 0738 wrote in message
...
If you're looking for Captain Kidd's treasure, we may have it.
see http://www.activemind.com/Mysterious...and/story.html

Ah yes. Oak Island.

Nothing to do with Kidd, I'm afraid. Remember, he had only dozen men with
him
when he left Madagascar. A project similar to Oak Island would have
required a
massive workforce at the beginning of the
18th Century.

Furthermore, there was no reason to stash
treasure. The majority of any prize was due and payable to the crew. The
east
coast of Colonial North America was filled with shopkeepers, etc, who were
only
too glad to do business (at special rates, of course), with voyagers on
account. It would be easier to spend it than to hide it.
:-)