Unfortunately for Kidd, the captain of the ship was an Englishman, and it is thought that a large amount of the cargo belonged to the British East India Company. His expedition was financed by English noblemen, and Kidd was presented with a letter of marque, signed by William III, reserving 10 per cent of the loot for the Crown. Certainly, when he was hiding on the island of Sainte-Marie off Madagascar, Levasseur had shown good faith in making the cross of Goa an enormous seven-foot gold relic set with precious stones, but he refused to separate himself from the rest of the booty. California Do Not Sell My Info The bar was presented to Madagascar's president at a special ceremony. Capt Kidd was captured and brought back to London. Pirates in the Indian Ocean – A Treasure Hunt. Vogl said: “Divers just pulled this 50kg silver bar out of Sainte Marie island Madagascar. People have been looking for it for 300 years. The BBC's Martin Vogl .css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link{color:#3F3F42;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited{color:#696969;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited{font-weight:bolder;border-bottom:1px solid #BABABA;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:focus,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:focus{border-bottom-color:currentcolor;border-bottom-width:2px;color:#B80000;}@supports (text-underline-offset:0.25em){.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited{border-bottom:none;-webkit-text-decoration:underline #BABABA;text-decoration:underline #BABABA;-webkit-text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;-webkit-text-decoration-skip-ink:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;text-underline-offset:0.25em;}.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:hover,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:link:focus,.css-yidnqd-InlineLink:visited:focus{-webkit-text-decoration-color:currentcolor;text-decoration-color:currentcolor;-webkit-text-decoration-thickness:2px;text-decoration-thickness:2px;color:#B80000;}} tweets that there is much excitement in Madagascar about the discovery and Mr Clifford's team has no doubt that the discovery is genuine. Libertalia is most likely a seafaring myth, but Madagascar was home to several other pirate strongholds, most famously St. Mary’s Island on the northeast coast. Captain Kidd took the helm of the Adventure Galley in 1695, when he was hired by a group of English investors to hunt down pirates. .css-8h1dth-Link{font-family:ReithSans,Helvetica,Arial,freesans,sans-serif;font-weight:700;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:#FFFFFF;}.css-8h1dth-Link:hover,.css-8h1dth-Link:focus{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}Read about our approach to external linking. The bounty was found by divers off Sainte Marie island and includes a 50kg silver bar. Why Was Benjamin Franklin’s Basement Filled With Skeletons? “Team believes silver bar came from wreckage of pirate Captain Kidd’s ship – one of the most famous pirates who operated out of Madagascar.”. Tech making it easier to see inside babies' brains. The location of the ship, thought to have sunk in 1698, has been known about for many years but the silver bar was only discovered earlier this week. This website and its associated newspaper are members of Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Vote Now! Read about our approach to external linking. "There's more down there. In 1697, he killed a mutinous gunner, William Moore, by hitting him over the head with a bucket, fracturing his skull. Government. Coronavirus: Do you have a tribute to a loved one? French lockdown to ease after second peak passes, How sunshine can make the railways greener. Hamish MacInnes, Scotland's greatest ever climber, dies at 90, Scotland becomes first country to have universal free period products. TREASURE belonging to the Scottish pirate William Kidd – who inspired Robert Louisn Stevenson’s novel Treasure Island – is believed to have been discovered off the coast of Madagascar. The president-elect says the US is "ready to lead the world", as his transition gathers pace. Cookie Policy But though his team “has no doubt that the discovery is genuine,” they hope to validate their findings with analysis of wood from the shipwreck. It was found by underwater archaeologist Barry Clifford, who is best known for discovering the wreck of the ship Whydah – the first verified pirate shipwreck ever discovered. Adventure Galley was the ship used by William Kidd when he decided to quit hunting pirates and …