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Barry Clifford is an undersea explorer who discovered and excavated the Whydah, the first pirate shipwreck ever authenticated, off the coast of Cape Cod. He established the Expedition Whydah Sea Lab and Learning Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he also owns and operates a pirate museum.

Paul Perry is an internationally bestselling author who has co-written nine books on near-death experiences.

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With the help of the Discovery Channel, undersea explorer Barry Clifford fields an expedition that includes some of America's top experts in shipwreck recovery. Their goal is to find, identify, and possibly excavate the remains of history's most famous pirate ship: Captain Kidd's Adventure Galley. The search takes them to a tiny island off the coast of Madagascar, Sainte Marie, known to historians as the model for Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island.

Return to Treasure Island and the Search for Captain Kidd weaves together two exciting stories: the saga of Captain William Kidd, one of history's most baffling and mysterious figures, and Barry Clifford's obsessive quest to find perhaps the most notorious pirate ship of all time. The result is a tale of treasure and adventure that ends in death -- both Kidd's and, three hundred years later, that of a rival archaeologist who attempts to stop Clifford's expedition.

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Return to Treasure Island and the Search for Captain Kidd

Perennial

Chapter One

Being There

I first saw Île Sainte-Marie fromthe wing seat of a French turboprop ownedby Air Madagascar, an airline with the well-deservednickname "Air Mad." As the planebegan its descent from the west, it droppedthrough mounds of cumulus clouds beforeleveling off a few hundred feet over thechoppy waters of the Indian Ocean. A few seconds before touchdown,the pilot caught sight of the air sock on the side of the runway -- the one near a small herd of zebus being tended by a young boy -- anddecided the wind was blowing the wrong way. He chose to land fromthe east instead.

He pulled back on the stick and pushed the throttle forward; the airplanerose, rapidly ascending over the island. Even though the groundflew by fast, it wasn't difficult to see why this had been such prime realestate for the pirates of the East Indies. The runway that we had opted outof seemed to be cut from a lush canopy of foliage, bordered by trees soheavy with fruit they leaned toward the center of the landing zone. Wezoomed over an aqua-blue lagoon crisscrossed by graceful woodenpirogues. Farther out into the Indian Ocean, a reef spanned the lengthof the island for as far as I could see. Surf pounded the reef's oceanside -- waves that started in Australia nearly five thousand miles away androlled unhampered across the third-largest ocean in the world.

The plane banked hard and began a steep descent. Although theseaeronautic gyrations were apparently normal on this route, in theUnited States they would probably qualify as evasive maneuvers.

"Now we're flying," said my son, Brandon, a professional skier with alust for tight turns and steep drops.

The plane righted itself quickly and came in on the short runway.With skillful braking and reverse thrusting, it stopped just before thebeach.

"That was thrilling," said Jeff Denholm, a diver, surfer, and triathletefrom southern Maine who had lost his right arm in an Alaskanfishing-boat accident. "One of the scariest things I've done this year."

The steward popped open the door, and hot tropical air immediatelyspilled into the cabin. I took a deep breath and relaxed. Theother passengers were unfolding from the tight seats, gathering their carry-on luggage from the overhead compartments, and heading forthe open rear door. I sat quietly and let the moment settle in, thinkingabout the circumstances that brought me here to a place that one historianhas called "the only pirate island in human history." I can't believeit, I said to myself. I am actually here. One step closer to finding CaptainWilliam Kidd's flagship, a monument to one of history's most misunderstoodrogues.

For years I had been compiling a file on Kidd. Though his reputationsuggests him to be the most notorious and feared pirate of all -- "a nondescript animal of the ocean," said a later biography -- myresearch showed that he didn't truly become a pirate until late in hislife. To American colonists of the 1690s, Kidd was a pillar of society, aloyal supporter of the king of England and a good seaman who usedhis skills to steal from enemies of the Crown.

About his early life little is known. He was born 1654 in Dundee, aScottish seaport. His father was a sea captain who died when Kidd wasvery young, leaving his family in great poverty. Kidd's ability to navigateand write well indicate that he somehow received a good education.He went on to serve in the Royal Navy, probably as a petty officer. Laterhe became respected as a privateer, a sea captain who was authorizedby his government to rob the ships of the enemy, in this case theFrench. Kidd was good at what he did. Royal governors in theCaribbean commended him for his fighting abilities, and an Englishcaptain familiar with Kidd testified years later at his trial that he "was amighty man in the West Indies."

Kidd became such a man in New York, too. Rewarded for his braveryat sea, he went on to live in the colonies, where he amassed considerablewealth and respect. His marriage to a wealthy widow gave himhigher social standing and added more heft to his bottom line. Kiddbecame known as one of the movers and shakers of New York City. Heowned docks, several town houses in what is now the Wall Street area, afarm in northern Manhattan, cargo ships and businesses. He even helped build Trinity Cathedral next to the site of what would laterbecome the World Trade Center.

Kidd was wealthy, secure, and respected in 1696 when, at the age offorty-one, he agreed to become a privateer for a partnership of businessmenheaded by an English lord. Even King William III joined theventure, an act he would later regret. Kidd's goal, as stated in a commissionfrom the king, was to rob French ships and capture pirateswho had been plaguing English shipping in the Indian Ocean.

To enable him to carry out his mission, the partnership built theAdventure Galley, a hybrid fitted with sails and oars and thirty-four cannons,and the first ship ever built by the British to hunt pirates. Ratedat 287 tons, she was light and fast. The oars gave her an extra edge byincreasing maneuverability and allowed her to pursue prey on a windlesssea.

With a strong ship, a good crew, and financial backing from England'snobles, Kidd seemed to have had everything he needed in order to succeedas a privateer. But appearances were deceiving. After months at seaKidd realized that he would never make as much money as he had initiallythought.

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