The Book of Buried Treasure. Ralph D. Paine
Emmot, the lawyer, "a cunning Jacobite, a fast friend of Fletcher's18 and my avowed enemie." He also made this interesting statement:
"I must not forget to tell your Lordships that Campbell brought three or four small Jewels to my Wife which I was to know nothing of, but she came quickly and discover'd them to me and asked me whether she would keep them, which I advised her to do for the present, for I reflected that my showing an over nicety might do hurt before I had made a full discovery what goods and treasure were in the Sloop....
"Mr. Livingston also came to me in a peremptory manner and demanded up his Bond and the articles which he seal'd to me upon Kidd's Expedition, and told me that Kidd swore all the Oaths in the world that unless I did immediately indemnify Mr. Livingston by giving up his Securities, he would never bring in that great ship and cargo. I thought this was such an Impertinence in both Kidd and Livingston that it was time for me to look about me, and to secure Kidd. I had noticed that he designed my wife a thousand pounds in gold dust and Ingotts last Thursday, but I spoil'd his compliment by ordering him to be arrested and committed that day, showing the Council's orders from Court for that purpose....
"If I had kept Mr. Secretary Vernon's orders for seizing and securing Kidd and his associates with all their effects with less secrecy, I had never got him to come in, for his countrymen, Mr. Graham and Livingston, would have been sure to caution him to shift for himself and would have been well paid for their pains."
One by one, Kidd's plans for clearing himself were knocked into a cocked hat. His lawyer did him no good, his hope of bribing the Countess of Bellomont with jewels, "gold dust and Ingotts" went wrong, and his buried treasure of Gardiner's Island was dug up and confiscated by officers of the Crown. It is regrettable that history, by one of its curious omissions, tells us no more about this titled lady. Did Kidd have reason to suppose that she would take his gifts and try to befriend him? When he was in high favor she may, perchance, have admired this dashing shipmaster and privateer as he spun his adventurous yarns in the Governor's mansion. He may have jestingly promised to fetch her home jewels and rich silk stuffs of the Indies filched from pirates. At any rate, she was not to be bought over, and Kidd sat in jail anchored by those sixteen-pound irons, and biting his nails in sullen wrath and disappointment, while a messenger was posting to Gardiner's Island with this order from Bellomont to the proprietor:
BOSTON IN NEW ENGLAND, 8th July, 1699...
Mr. Gardiner:
Having received the King's express Orders for Seizing and Securing the body of Capt. Kidd and all his associates together with all their effects till I should receive his Majesty's Royal pleasure how to dispose of the same, I have accordingly secured Capt. Kidd in the Gaol of this Town and some of his men. He has been examined by myself and the Council and has confessed among other things that he left with you a parcel of gold made up in a box and some other parcels besides, all of which I require you in his Majesty's name immediately to fetch hither to me, that I may secure them for his Majesty's use, and I shall recompense your pains in coming hither.
I am,
Your friend and servant,
BELLOMONT.
The box and the chest were promptly delivered by honest John Gardiner, who had no mind to be mixed in the affairs of the now notorious Kidd, together with the bales of goods left in his care. This booty was inventoried by order of Bellomont and the Governor's Council and the original document is photographed herewith, as found in the Public Record Office, London. It possessed a singular interest because it records and vouches for the only Kidd treasure ever discovered. Nor are its detailed items a mere dusty catalogue of figures and merchandise. This is a document to gloat over. If one has a spark of imagination, he smacks his lips. Instead of legend and myth, here is a veritable pirate's hoard, exactly as it should be, with its bags of gold, bars of silver, "Rubies great and small," candlesticks and porringers, diamonds and so on. The inventory contains also other booty found in the course of the treasure hunt, and lest the document itself may prove too hard reading, its contents are transcribed as follows to convince the most skeptical mind that there was a real Kidd treasure and that it was found in the Year of our Lord, 1699.
BOSTON, NEW ENGLAND, July 25th, 1699.
A true Accompt. of all such Gold, Silver, Jewels, and Merchandises in the Possession of Capt. William Kidd, Which have been seized and secured by us under-writing Pursuant to an Order from his Excellency, Richard, Earle of Bellomont, Capt. Generall and Governor-in-Chief in and over his Majestie's Province of ye Massachusetts Bay, etc., bearing date19 ... 1699, Vizt.
In Capt. William Kid's Box—
One Bag Fifty-three Silver Barrs.
One Bag Seventy-nine Barrs and pieces of silver....
One Bag Seventy-four Bars Silver.
One Enamel'd Silver Box in which are 4 diamonds
set in gold Lockets, one diamond loose,
one large diamond set in a gold ring.
Found in Mr. Duncan Campbell's House,
No. 1. One Bag Gold.
2. One Bag Gold.
3. One Handkerchief Gold.
4. One Bag Gold.
5. One Bag Gold.
6. One Bag Gold.
7. One Bag Gold.
Also Twenty Dollars, one halfe and one quart. pcs. of eight, Nine English Crowns, one small Barr of Silver, one small Lump Silver, a small Chaine, a small bottle, a Corral Necklace, one pc. white and one pc. of Checkquer'd Silk....
In Capt. William Kidd's Chests—Two Silver Boxons, Two Silver Candlesticks, one Silver Porringer, and some small things of Silver—Rubies small and great Sixty-seven, Green Stones two. One large Load Stone....
Landed from on board the Sloop Antonio Capt. Wm. Kidd late Command.... 57 Baggs of Sugar, 17 pieces canvis, 38 Bales of Merchandize.
Received from Mr. Duncan Campbell Three Bailes Merchandise, Whereof one he had opened being much damnified by water.... Eighty-five ps. Silk Rumals and Bengalis, Sixty ps. Callicoes and Muslins.
Received the 17th. instant of Mr. John Gardiner.
No. 1. One Bag dust Gold.
2. One Bag Coyned Gold and in it silver.
3. One p'cl dust Gold.
4. One Bag three Silver Rings and Sundry precious
stones. One bag of unpolished Stones. One
ps. of Cristol and Bazer Stone, Two Cornelion
Rings, two small Agats. Two Amathests all in
the same Bag.
5. One Bag Silver Buttons and a Lamp.
6. One Bag broken Silver.
7. One Bag Gold Bars.
8. One Bag Gold Barrs.
9. One Bag Dust Gold.
10. One Bag of Silver Bars.
11. One Bag Silver Bars.
The whole of the Gold above mentioned is Eleven hundred, and Eleven ounces, Troy Weight.
The silver is Two Thousand, three Hundred, Fifty-three ounces.
The Jewels or Precious Stones Weight are seventeen Ounces ... an Ounce, and Six20 ... Stone by Tale.
The Sugar is Contained in Fifty-Seven Baggs.
The Merchandize is Contained in Forty-one Bailes.
The