After his death the search for La Buzzes treasure was on, and eventually it centred on the then uninhabited Seychelles Islands. But thats the beauty in the fascination that drives us to continually try to find the answers, to what we have yet to lay our hands on. He was Oliver Levasseur, nick-named La Buzze (the Buzzard), and he died 250 years ago on 17th July, 1730. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2022Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. Unfortunately, as if it might of made a difference, to avoid capsizing on the sandbar, the crew of the of the vessel dismounted and threw their 72 cannons overboard. Today, Levasseur Rum perpetuates the mystery around the character, Olivier Levasseur, and especially his lost treasure that is said to be found somewhere on the island of Seychelles. They decided to remake Henry Everys infamous capture of a Mughal treasure convoy, who was in route to Mecca. And it all comes back to this story of Levasseur. Note that Poe later changed the second line to twenty-one degrees and thirteen minutes, so both 21 and 41 are correct. He received a hoity toity education and then became a naval officer. Yeah, you, the one still reading. Coffers now replenished, work was re-started. There are many strange mysteries that reside in history, but one of the most unsettling is that of the Octavius ghost ship. Picture by. They landed 250 men on board and killed the crew. The other, which is a 17-line cipher, became known due to its publication in a 1934 book entitled Le Flibustier Mysterieux, by Charles Bourrel de la Roncire, a French marine historian. Hornigold was an Englishman and refused to attack English vessels. Questions, comments, and feedback can be left at my website. He was then taken to Saint-Denis, Runion, and hanged for piracy at 5PM on 7 July 1730. Further, the treasure chamber must be reached at a certain point at low tide, with the water being dammed to prevent flooding. Furthermore, even if the cipher is real it could be one last joke by a man doomed to die. Mutually Assured Destruction: Has it Happened Before? Abandoned Lifeboat on Bouvet Island: Mystery Solved! Early work by Cruise-Wilkins produced some wild suggestions. He was given the nickname of La Buse that translates to The Buzzard in his early years as a pirate because of his speed and ruthlessness in the way he attacked his enemies. DEMIELLEEFOVTREFOUSENFAITESUNEONGAT A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Earth, Culture, Capital and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday. This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. The Flying Gang was already becoming very famous in the Caribbean. What was the Deadly Cocoliztli Disease that Decimated Aztec Society? The Oldest Art in the World Wasnt Made By Homo sapiens, Thessaloniki Metro Construction Reveals Unimaginable Treasures, The Legendary Emerald Tablet and its Secrets of the Universe. Who was the Babushka Lady at JFKs Assassination? The immediate problem with the second cryptogram is that whereas the first seventeen lines are ambiguous and show numerous signs of miscopying and misinterpretation, the last five lines are almost exactly the opposite, in that they are models of clarity and straightforwardness. Lost and Found Evidence of Extreme Size Life Forms Everywhere! oliver le vasseurs ,"la Buze", treasure is worth 100.000.000 pounds. During that time he hid his treasure, reputed to be 90,000,000 gold French francs and a hoard of other valuables. Tunnels were found, and so, too, was an underground spring, which required the installation of expensive pumps to keep the water at bay. Samuel Bellamy. 2013. 2005-2023 Look and Learn - All rights reserved, Olivier Levasseurs treasure remains hidden. They were left well alone until, that is, they captured two treasure-ships, La Duchesse de Noailles and La Ville dOstende, belonging to the French East India Company, and, for good measure, a Portuguese ship carrying the Bishop of Goa and his treasure. With them, in 1924, he took possibly the greatest single prize ever captured by a pirate of the golden age of sail: the Portuguese galleon Nossa Senhora do Cabo. In one document there are some coordinates, and text in a mysterious alphabet. In one battle during the Spanish Succession, he received an injury to his left eye. After amassing this substantial wealth, the pirates then began dividing the loot equally with each member receiving 50,000 in gold and 42 diamonds each. Olivier Lavasseur and forty of his men would retreat to Antongil Bay, near Nosy Bohara, Sainte Marie Island, Madagascar. VPULEZPLVSPRENEY2LETCASSESURLECH Seated Silver Coins Galore! But this is where his life came to a crossroads. In 1720, they attacked the slaver port of Ouidah, Kingdom of Whydah (on the coast of what is now Benin), reducing the local fortress to ruins. RUAVOUSSERERLADOBAUCGEAETPOURVE He seized the entire payload from them, but did not rob them individually or kill them. John has uncovered what he thinks are pirate markings on Mahs rocks (Credit: Helen Soteriou). It has been claimed that during this time Levasseur received a scar across one eye, causing him to wear an eye patch over it. This draws a parallel with the little known island legacy of an ancestral rum-making heritage and authenticity that combines dedication and passion. In 1947, an Englishman named Reginald Cruise Wilkins, Mrs.Savoy neighbors began to study the documents. 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Olivier Levasseur (born in the late 1680s 7 July 1730) was a French pirate known for his quickness and ferocity in attacking his foes, both with his sword and with his rapier wit. The Feast of Epiphany: Who Were The Three Kings and Where Did They Come From? #1 Legend has it that the pirate, Olivier le Vasseur, buried the riches that include golden goblets, coins, uncut diamonds and the seven-foot high Fiery Cross of Goa, encrusted with precious stones worth an estimated 150-million. Among all the gold, silver, and diamonds you would expect, was also the Fiery Cross of Goa that was made of pure gold and inlaid with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. With a scar across one eye and a penchant for attacking quickly, Levasseur built up a healthy reputation as a pirate. One fleet sailed to the Caribbean, the other to the South American ports of Cartagena, Nombre de Dios (and later Porto Bello); after completing their trade the fleets rendezvoused at Havana in Cuba for the return trip. As of today in 2022, it hasnt. All in all: to modern historians eyes, it remains highly unclear why a generally level-headed historian such as de la Roncire would publish a book about a cipher where the plaintext has been solved but reveals nothing, and where there is not one scrap of external evidence to link that cipher to a specific pirate. There were extra shares for the officers, John said. (Oliver La Bouche) or Levasseur. When we in the modern world picture pirates of the golden age of sail, much of what comes into our heads is purest fantasy. The idea of finding a true pirate treasure has never been more alive than it is today. She got a copy of olivers code and began braking it. It was so heavy that it required three men to carry it to Levasseur's ship. He was known to be an excellent seaman and a capable commander. We known he was born between 1688 and 1697 to a wealthy family in Calais (Kal-aY), which was a major ferry port city in Northern France. He then abandoned 240 stolen slaves on an island off Macae (next to Rio de Janeiro) before a Portuguese armed boat gave him chase. DANSDUUI OOUQNDORMIRUNHOMMR The alphabet used was easily decoded into plain text, but the message that remains, with its clues as to where Levasseur left his treasure, has never been translated. While the cipher is not directly linked to Oak Island, the activity in which it may be involved shares certain characteristics and there is a possibility that some of the elements of the story come from that other famous supposed cache of treasure. It was there where Levasseur was informed of a wealthy Frenchmen nearby in the bay of Parangua. Various tasks, representing the Labours of Hercules, had to be undertaken in strict order. Hope you could get them! In 1718, Levasseur narrowly avoided capture by Captain Francis Hume of the HMS Scarborough off the coast of La Blanquilla in the Eastern Caribbean. According to John, a historian described it as 'a floating treasure house, believed to consist of gold and silver bars, precious stones, uncut diamonds, guineas, church plate and . "[7] The necklace has been lost, but treasure hunters have since tried to decode the cryptogram, hoping its solution will lead to a treasure. The two captains combined forces; Levasseur with his mostly French fleet, and Hornigold with his fleet, known as the Flying Gang. With the new found fortune the pirates seized in Ouidah, the pirates set up shop off the coast of Madagascar. Levasseur escaped on a small brigantine that escorted his ship, and from there went south to Sao Francisco do Sul, where he robbed a boat full of cassava flour, in order to feed his surviving crew, sailing back to Cananeia.[2]. This brings us to April of 1721. But that theory is highly improbable, seeing that he was trying to fly under everyones radar, and not raise any flags by selling bulk gold and gems, not to mention a solid gold cross covered in gems. When the conflict ended in 1714, Versailles no longer needed its privateers. In 1947, Englishman Reginald Cruise-Wilkins studied the documents, but the cryptogram was much more difficult to solve than first believed. What happened to Lamont Young? Levasseur, known as La Buse ("The Buzzard") spent years pillaging his way across this corner of the Indian Ocean before settling on the Seychelles. He was a well known pirate of his time, sure, but with the claim of buried fortune, came longevity. He buried an estimated 2 million dollars worth of treasure, and wrote up a poem to lead to its location. The Great Mughal's heavily armed but also heavily laden pilgrim ships to Mecca sailed these seas. La Buse Cryptogram. Whilst Levasseur was a notorious and much-feared pirate during his days, his greatest legacy is the alleged treasure that he had hidden. Levasseur on the other hand, had no restrictions and would attack and harvest the bounty of any ship, regardless of what flag they flew. Of course, the cryptogram could be just another fake committed around the same time when the Palmer-Kidd maps and Guayacn ciphers appeared, both forgeries. And the question always with people is Why do you treasure hunt? Olivier Levasseur (1688, 1689, or 1690 7 July 1730), was a French pirate, nicknamed La Buse ("The Buzzard") or La Bouche ("The Mouth") in his early days for the speed and ruthlessness with which he always attacked his enemies as well as his ability to verbally attack his opponents. According to researchers and historians, the hoard contains more than 50,000 gems such as diamonds, sapphires, and ancient artifacts. If you are thinking this all seems too good to be true, then there are some who would agree with you. The Island with 100 Million Hidden. The Lemminkinen Hoard, if found by the team, would be valued above 15 billion, making it the most valuable treasure trove ever discovered. ( Public Domain ), Top Image: A typical depiction of a pirate. He hurled a piece of parchment into the air, shouting 'My treasure for he who can understand. It was there where Levasseur was informed of a wealthy Frenchmen nearby in the bay of Parangua. Perhaps this was a bribe, or maybe a bluff. [Online]Available at: http://www.goldenageofpiracy.org/infamous-pirates/olivier-levasseur.php, Mojon, J.-M., 2009. Mah is a small island where everyone knows each other. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. Up until this point in Levasseurs life, he had a widely successful career as a pirate. The Lemminkinen Hoard, if found by the team, would be valued above 15 billion, making it the most valuable treasure trove ever discovered. Levasseur left the crew of the ship on their destroyed vessel to die, and brought the 240 slaves to shore on an island off the coast of Macae near Rio de Janeiro. We all know that the ancient world was a violent place, but we often dont appreciate just how violent it was. He is also known for allegedly hiding one of the biggest treasures in pirate history, estimated at over 1 billion, and leaving a cryptogram . What Became of Anne Bonny, Irish Pirate of the Caribbean? Olivier Levasseur was born to a wealthy family in Calais at the end of the 17th century. He received a letter of marque from the French King, Louis XIV, during the War of the Spanish Succession, and became a privateer in the service of the French Crown. 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