15 December 2007

Captain Kidd Shipwreck Found

When Captain Kidd was accused of "notorious piracies" in London in 1699 he ditched his captured ship, the Quedagh Merchant, in the Caribbean and fled to New York to clear his name. There he was stabbed in the back (metaphorically) by his patrons and thrown in jail where he went insane for a time.

He had left the Quedagh Merchant with friends/pirates who looted it, set it on fire, and sent it adrift. Treasure hunters have been looking for the wreckage since. And it was just discovered by Indiana University researchers in 10 feet of water off Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic.

Check out Kidd's wikipedia page. His story is full of treachery and adventure, complete with a climax at the gallows and a defiant farewell speech. Modern day pirates like Ken Lay and Johnny Depp are a total letdown.

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