In search of Captain Avery's treasure

[Bocaj]

I suspect William Kidd was so desperate in trying to escape the hangman's noose regardless of his faults it was for gone conclusion he should hang was willing to say anything to save his skin.

The Cornish document could of been Kidd trying to later bargain for his life by appealing to Prince George of Denmark and Norway, Duke of Cumberland who lived at Brighton most of the time.

He had no political power but this information he was given by description in Cornish archives is remarkably similar to the document uncovered in Scotland.and mentions a contact in Brighton the exact place where duke of Cumberland was living.

So in the respect the treasure described was Every's cache. It clearly not the treasure as claimed in other letters. Kidd was desperate man trying save his skin he was prepared to say anything.

I for one do see enough evidence of a great treasure hoard. As most of pirate had divided up the hoard of Averys crew. While Arvey had a much bigger share perhaps hidden at one time near lizard point. much of his crew lost buried or spent theirs in various places in the world.

Well desperation does improve imagination to some point but it hardly explains how he did know the contents of the chests (except it also improves mind-reading skills).
Then there are of course the Palmer maps which also describes three stumps as the pointer to a cove (or cave) nearby. Certainly too big for a coincidence or is it a superstition to only bury treasures if three stones happen to be in the vicinity?
I am still not convinced about the Lizard point location. Is there any other document beside this one referring to it? I can only read 'Lig.' in the quoted section.
It seems that the only true help to ever find Avery's treasure is through Kidd's letter and maps - otherwise we have nothing.

 

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[Bocaj]

517. IV. Examination of John Dann, mariner, of Rochester,
taken on 3 August, 1696. Three years ago I was
coxswain on the Soldado prize, and deserted to go on
Sir James Houblon's expedition to the West Indies
under Don Arthuro Bourne. I went in the Charles to
Corunna, where the ship's company mutinied, their pay
being eight months in arrear. The men proposed to
the master, Captain Every, to carry away the ship,
which he agreed to, and they sailed from Corunna on
7 May, 1693, with eighty-five men. The Captain and
fifteen or sixteen men who refused to go, were set ashore.
The first place we came to was the Isle of May. Here
the narrative abstracted in No. III. is given in slightly
greater detail up to the time of the ship's arrival at
Johanna, Madagascar. Here we resolved to go to the
Red Sea. Here we met with two English privateers,
the Dolphin and the Portsmouth Adventure. The
Dolphin, Captain Want, was a Spanish bottom with
sixty men on board, and had been fitted out at Orkells
(? Whorekill) , near Philadelphia, having left it two
years ago last January. The Portsmouth Adventure .
had been fitted out at Rhode Island, about the
same time; her master was Captain Joseph Faro,
and her crew was about the same number as
the Dolphin. Both had about six guns. They joined
company with us and about June twelvemonth we came
to Liparan Island at the mouth of the Red Sea, where
three more sail of English came to us, one commanded
by Thomas Wake, another, the Pearl, William Mues
commander, fitted out at Rhode Island, the Amity,
Thomas Tew commander, fitted out at New York. The
two first had six guns and about fifty men each, and the
Amity from thirty to forty men. They all joined
partnership, putting Captain Every in command. After
lying there some time they sent a pinnace to Mocha,
and took two men who gave them information as to the
ships coming down. They then stood out to sea and
back to Liparan, where after five or six days the Moors'
ships, twenty-five in number, passed them in the night ;
but hearing of this from a captured ketch they resolved
to follow them. The Dolphin being a bad sailer was
burned, and the men put onboard Captain Every. The
Amity fell astern and never came up, Wake's ship also


AMERICA AND WEST INDIES. 263
1696 .
lagged but came up later. Steering for Surat we caught
up one of the ships which we took after she had fired
three shots. She had £50,000 or £60,000 on board in
silver and gold. We shortly afterwards spied another
ship, mounting forty guns and carrying (as was said)
800 men . She stood a fight of three hours and yielded.
We took from her in money and plate enough gold and
silver to make up each man's share to £1,000, 180 men
sharing in all, the Captain having a double share, and
the master a share and a half. The Portsmouth had no
share, not having taken part in the fight. The Pearl
had a share but this was taken from them again, for
when the Charles men changed with them silver for
gold it was found that the Pearl's men had clipped the
gold ; so they gave them only 2,000 pieces-of-eight to
buy provisions. Captain Want then sailed into the bay
of Persia, the Pearl (I think) went to the coast of
Ethiopia, and Wake to an island near Madagascar,
intending for the Red Sea the next time the Moors'
ships were expected from thence. Captain Every
resolved to go straight to Providence. On the way
the men mutinied, some being for carrying her to
Kiau, belonging to the French near Brazil, but Every
withstood it, there not being twenty men left that joined
with him when they came to Madagascar, in latitude
21°. There we left as many men as were inclined to
stay, and in March or April we came to Providence,
anchoring first off Thora Island, and sending a letter to
Governor Trott to ask for protection and liberty to go
away, which he promised us. We made a collection of
twenty pieces-of-eight a man, and forty from the Cap-
tain, as present to the Governor, besides elephants' teeth
and other things to the value of £1,000. We then left
our ship, which the Governor took, with forty-six guns
in her, after which we bought a sloop, and Every with
about twenty men sailed for England. Twenty-three
other men bought another sloop, and sailed under Cap-
tain Risby to Carolina. Every and I landed in the
north of Ireland at the end of June last, where we parted
and Every went to Scotland. I heard that he was in
Dublin when I was there, but did not see him. He
had spoken of going to Exeter, being a Plymouth man.
I obtained a pass from a landing-waiter for myself and
seven more to go to Dublin; this man made some effort
to detain me, but let us go for three pounds' weight of
gold. I hear that he obtained money from the other
men also. I then went to London, but was arrested at
Rochester, a maid having found my gold quilted up in
my jacket. I was brought before the Mayor and com-
mitted, but kept my jacket in which were £1,045 in
sequins and 10 guineas, which are now in custody of
the Mayor. The wife of our quarter-master came
home from Providence with us, and I lately saw her at


264 COLONIAL PAPERS .
1696 .
Dec. 19.
St. Alban's. The sloop we came home in was given to
Captain Joseph Faro of the Portsmouth Adventure.
Captain Risby's men landed somewhere near Galloway.
63 pp. [Board of Trade. Plantations General,

Taken from the State Papers of 1696