Stories of Acadia – Birch Bark Series – Pirate’s Plunder
Land of Acadia has many fine harbours and bays, to which are related
stirring tales of treasure and tragedy. That these shores in the early
days were the haunts of pirate ships is historically true. Captain Kidd
and other pirates are fixed characters in the history of this country.
The white man, when he first came to the land of Acadia, found here the
Micmac Indians. They were a fine race physically and worthy of the
appellation “noble Redman.” As hunters they could not be excelled; as
foes they were relentless; as friends none could be more faithful.
Their canoes, bows and moccasins were real works of art. All the
harbours mountains lakes and rivers of the land were well known to them;
and many of them to this day bear their India names.
Many years ago a Micmac Sagamore had a hunting camp on the south shore,
not far from the noted Oak Island. The place had long been the favorite
camping ground of the tribe; for at certain seasons the forest abounded
with game and Gold River with Salmon.
One evening when returning to camp, the Sagmore “Eagle Eye” and another
Indian suddenly came upon a brown bear feeding on the berries which grew
in abundance on the shore. The animal, surprised at his evening meal,
ran toward the shore, with the Indians in hot pursuit. As there was no
way of escape, he took to the water and swam to an island a short
distance away. The Indians saw him climb the bank and disappear among
the great oaks which covered it. As they had no canoe, further pursuit
that night was impossible. “He will stay there tonight.” said Eagle
Eye, “and in the morning we will hunt him.”
As the trail to camp was good, they soon reached it, and related to the
rest of their party the incident of the bear. At the camp fire that
night, Eagle Eye, decided to take two men with him, early the next
morning, to the island. He wanted to secure this bear, which would
furnish meat for the camp for many days.
At dawn the next morning, the Indians landed at the island near where
the bear the night before had entered the woods. They were not long in
picking up his trail leading to the interior. It was not very distinct,
for the ground was hard and covered with thick underbrush. As they
followed the trail it brought them to a small clearing near the center
of the island. As the ground was very hard, no trace of the bear could
be found. They must circle the clearing, and find where he again had
entered the woods. However, just as they were about to do this, they
were surprised to hear voices from the seashore side of the island. All
interest in the bear hunt ceased at once; for other men were evidently
on the island. They were now concerned to know if these were friends or
foes. Very cautiously they made their way in the direction of the
voices. When they came in sight of the sea they got a greater surprise:
they saw standing a little from the shore a large dark ship. Where the
Indians stood concealed in the underbrush, they also saw on the shore,
not far from them, a number of men with dark faces and heavy beards, and
others like them coming from the ship. These swarthy men soon gathered
under a large oak tree, almost sixty years from the shore. Here one of
them made a short speech, which the Indians did not understand. In the
center of company was a ship’s pail, and from this they all took a
drink, just before they returned to their boat, and the vessel.
It was a beautiful autumn morning near the close of September. The
ship’s sails were soon spread to the breeze, and in a little while the
Indians lost sight of her among the may islands of Mahone Bay. little
did these strangers think, as they sailed away, that eager eyes of other
men had watched all their movements that morning on the island. The
Indians, as so as the ship disappeared, went to where these men had
landed. Here they found a ridge of fresh earth leading to the oak,
while under the tree there were fresh traces of labour. On a limb they
saw a strange article hanging, and on the ground a heavy piece of ship’s
rope. Taking this they hurried back to camp, to tell the other Indians
what they had seen that morning on the island.
The purpose of strange men on the island long remained a mystery to the
Indians. They often visited the spot, but the strangers seemed never to
have returned. Finally Englishmen began to settle o this shore. With
them came an old Huguenot officer. This man had fled from France in
1685, when the King revoked the Edict of Nantes. This officer one day
chanced to visit the camp of Eagle Eye, now an old man with his hair
whitened by many winters. He noticed by his camp a piece of ship’s
rope, worn and weather – beaten. Very naturally, he inquired where the
Indian had found it. As Eagle Eye when a boy had learned some French,
he was able to tell the officer its story. It greatly interested the
Frenchman, for well e knew its meaning. He very soon gathered a party
of white men which Eagle Eye guided to the island, and the oak.
The ridge of earth from the shore was gone, for time had leveled it
with the rest of the soil; but still under the oak was every trace of
man’s work, to prove the Indian’s story. On the ground they found an
old ship’s block and still hanging from the limb was a piece of frayed
ship’s rope.
The next day this party returned to the island, with pickaxes and
spades to dig for treasure. When the got five feet down, they found a
cribbing of solid oak plank. This was surely evidence that they had
found the burial place pf Pirate’s Plunder; but as they went deeper, and
reached sea – level, they were surprised to find that salt water filled
their pit and made it impossible for them to continue the work.
The ridge of fresh earth, which the Indians found that September
morning – did this mark the course of a trench from the sea to the oak
tree?
Since then many parties have sought here for buried treasure, but
saltwater at sea level has always compelled them to abandon their work.
Therefore if Eagle Eye and his men saw pirates completing the burying
of their plunder, is it no still securely locked in the soil of Oak Island.
