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Captain Kidd Was Here
No seacoast with miles of beaches, little hideaways along the shore and wild stretches of seacoast would have a complete story without a legend of pirates and pirates’ gold. Cape Cod is no exception. Captain Kidd, the infamous pirate who pursued a daring career on the high seas between 1690 and 1700, reputedly landed on the Cape.
In 1699, it is told that one “find” of his booty was made. However, the line where history ends and legend begins is difficult to find.
The hoards of gold that this buccaneer is supposed to have buried in various remote locations are still talked about. Cape Cod is popularly regarded as one of the most likely scenes for Kidd’s caches, and to Hog Island in Pleasant Bay is accorded the honor of being the exact spot. The southern end of Hog Island is known locally as “Money Head,” and a large rock and hole once found there are referred to as evidence of repeated excavations.
Another local spot rumored to be where some of Kidd’s booty was stashed is Nomans Land Island (aka Nomansland Island). A uninhabited island South of Gay Head on Martha’s Vineyard.
Subsequently, Captain Kidd was arrested in Boston, sent back to England for trial, and executed for piracy in London in 1701. Legend has it that when Kidd was about to be hanged, the ropes broke on the gallows. But Kidd was hanged a second time, with more success.
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Categories: History
Keywords: Captain Kidd, history, legends, maritime, pirates, treasure
Comments:
The favorite site for hunting Capt. Kidd’s treasure is, of course, Pirates Cove in Cotuit Bay, the best harbor on the south side of the Cape.
No one has found any more than a single Spanish piece of eight because it is guarded by the witch Hannah Screecham, whom Kidd befriended.
The best account of this is in Elizabeth Reynard’s The Narrow Land, but there are other versions in Matthew Mitchell’s Legends of Hannah Screecham.
Posted by Jim Gould from Cotuit on 03/17/10 at 02:16 PM | #
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If allowed, I’d like to invite readers to view my blog, in which we go beyond the myths and legends - including the entertaining but dubious Hog Island one - and get right into real history and breaking news, such as the exciting discovery of Kidd’s biggest haul, the 300-ton Quedah Merchant.