The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-12-14
From the New York Evening PJst.
CAPTAIN KIDD.
A search for Iiddon Treasures.

At the present time It s said tina
two expeditions, sustained by con
: siderable capital, and pursuing th,
search for Captain Kidd's money, on,
. somewhere In New England and tht
other at Oak Island Nova Scotia. n,
one has forgotten the large sums o
money sunk In cotier-dam on The
North River few years since in the
search after one Of Kidd's vessels load
ed with gold and silver and diamonds
and 1t Is probable that tho two ex.
petitions above-named are not tht
only seel ers. Here and there along
our shores 1t Is not uncommon to sce
one, two or three individuals pursu-
ing the same search. On the whole.
1t Is probable that q great many peo-
pie really believe that the treasure
may he found. A few facts, therefore,
where there is 50 much fancy, may be
orth recalling.
Doubtless one Of the most terrible
names in the juvenile literature in
England and English America, dur
ing the last century and a half, has
been that of William Kidd, the pirate.
In the nursery legend, in story and
In song, his name has stood forth as
tho boldest and bloodest of bucca-
neers.
! The terror Of the ocean, when
abroad, hereturncd from hissuccessive
voyages to line our coasts with silver
and gold, and to renew with the devil
a league, cemented with the blood of
victims shot down, whenever fresh
returns Of the precious metals were to
be hidden. According to the super
stltlonH OF Connecticut and Long Is
land, 1t was owing to these bloody
charms that honest mOncy-diggcrs
have ever experienced so much dih-
Guilty in recovering the buried treas
ures. Often, indeed, have the lids Of
the iron chests rung beneath the mat
tock of the stealthy midnight search.
er for gold; but the flashes of sulphur
Gus fires, blue and red, and the saucer
eyes and chattering teeth of lcgious
of demons have uniformly interpo-ed
| to frighten the delivers from their
posts and preserve the treasure from
their greedy clutches. But nOtWith-
standing the narrowing sensations
connected with the name Of Kidd.
| and his renOwn rs a pirate; he was
but one Of the last and most incGu-
siderable of thai race of sea-robbcrs,
who, during long series of years In
the seventeenth century, wrro the
admiration Of the world for their
prowess, and It's terror for their
crimes
In the latter part OF the seventeenth
century Kidd was in command Of
merchant vessel trading between New
York and London, and was celebrated
for his nautical skill and Nnlrryrao.
The first mention Of him In aUtntu.
tic colonial history occurs IN 1851. in
which year the "Journalt OF the N.w
York Assembly, tells US tina, OH ,u,
18th day of April much credit wql
allowed to be due him "fOr the many
good services done for the province.
in attending with his vessei4n Bat
in what capacity or for what Object he
thus attended with hia vesscI4 do.
not appear. 1t was alao declared thar
he ought to be suitably rewarded. Ac-
cOrdinGly, on the 18th Of May follow
ing, ii was ordered BY the same A.
sembly "that the sum of $3.50 be paid
70 Captain Kidd as suitable ackloWl-
edgment for the important henchss
which the colonies had received from
his hands. The presumption IL that
those services were In some way c3n-
nected with the protection Of luo |
colonial merchant Marluo from the |
attacks of the pirates who were at tn, !
time lowering along the coa-ts ofth" !
northern colonies. Indeed, the har- |
Dor of New York was no stranger to .
the pirate vessels, and the commerce I
between them and the "puJple Ci !
figure" in this city Was not incon. ,
siderable. II was no great secret that
the pirates wore frequently in thg |
Sound, and were freely supplied with !
provisions by the inhabitants Of Long
Island and still further, it WAS we'll
known in the year 1895 that the Eng |
lish frecbooters had fitted out their !
vessels in the very harbor Of New |
York itself. On the arrival OF the |
pirate vessels from their cruises. their |
goods were openly sold il the cRy, |
and the conduct of the colonial gov
crnment was such that collusion, If !
not direct partnerships between them |
and the public authorities was not
doubted.
Such WAS the condition OF affairs,
when Robert Livingston, of New
York, recommended to Governor B4t-
lamont Captain Kidd, ~ q man " IN
tegrity and courage, well acquainted
with the pirates and thei- pages Of
and as one In all respects
fit to be entrusted with the commtuds
ofa vessel engaged in such difficult
service. a ship was accordingly pro.
cured and equipped, and placed uurisr
the management Of Kidd, who sailed
from New York under regular COM
mission, in April, 1895. Fora time he
served faithfully; and on his return I
from his first voyage he wgs recrlvrd !
with public honoIs and awarded :
smother grant Of 1850 But on hiI r
next voyage he stretched away 10 the ,
Indian Ocean and became citrate {
himself. Selecting the lslsnd0f Mada. J
yasOar as his principal place OF IeH- {
iezvous, and burning his O~n ship q
after capturing one that suited him !
1CitcI, Ills utpittitt'ii7 bl'p'A ''iAI / .
nerce are represented to hay5 been |
great. @
1t is beyond doubt true that Long /
sland Sound contained several of his u
hiding places. "Kidd's r Icii" Is vel.
Known at Mauhasset, upon Long Is
and, to this day. Here he is supposed k
o have buried some of his treasuGe-; .
md many have been the attempts 81 II
lie creduous in this seGt!oI TO aud tins d
hidden gold. There Is also Io douhJ IL
hat he was wont to hide himself and e.
lis vessel among those curious rocks r,
II Sachem's Head HarbOr called the Il
Islands. In addition To the "
pirates Cavern" ~ this vicinity, Il
here is upon one OF these rocks shell l.
cred from the view of the Sound, a ri
eautiful artificial excavation OF an ~
val form, holding, perhap-,t lie mea- bt
ure of q barrel, called "KiddS Punch "
ioWl.n 1t was here, according to the IA
raditlons OF the pslyhborhood, that be ei
sed to carouse with his crew. II 10 "a III
.ct beyond controversy that ho wa ii
ccustomeJ to anchor Lis vessel III N
,arJner's Bay. On one occasion, In of
bo night, he landed upon Gardner's Il,
t..J al ra,u,uufaI Mr.. GsrIpor 10 | a.,