Episode Transcript
[00:00:11] Hey there. Welcome back to Histories, the podcast where we dive into the wildest, strangest and most mysterious moments in history. The kind of stories that leave you shaking your head, saying, hold up, come again. I'm Angelo, your storyteller for the day. And today we're setting sail on an adventure that's equal parts danger, mystery and mind bending. Puzzles is the story of a pirate, his buried treasure, and the cryptic clues he left behind. This is the tale of Oliver Levasseur, or as he was more famously known, the Buzzard.
[00:00:40] Now, before you start picturing Johnny Depp swinging from the rigging, let me tell you, Levasseur wasn't your Hollywood pirate. This guy was the real deal. Ruthless, cunning, and oh so very, very rich. But there's a catch. Almost 300 years later, his treasure has never been found. And as you're about to learn, this story isn't just about gold and jewels. It's about one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in history.
[00:01:08] So let's rewind to the early 18th century. Olivier Levasseur was born around 1688 in Calais, France. Little is known about his early life, but we do know that by the time he grew up, he wasn't exactly interested in leading a quiet, law abiding existence. Nah. Levasseur wanted adventure and lots of it. He joined the French Navy, where he learned the skills that he would later use to make him one of the most feared pirates in the Indian Ocean. His big break came during the War of Spanish Succession, where European powers were duking it out over who got to sit on the Spanish throne. And after the war ended, Levasseur decided that peacetime wasn't for him. So he turned pirate. Joined a group of privateers who weren't too keen on giving up their ships. Together they raided vessels and coastal sediments from the Caribbean to the African coast. But here's where it gets interesting. Levasseur wasn't your run of the mill scallywag. No, he was good at what he did. His most famous heist happened in 1721 when he and his crew captured the Portuguese treasure ship called Our lady of the Cape. And believe me when I say that this treasure ship was more treasure than ship. This thing was loaded with, with gold, silver, diamonds, pearls, you name it. Levasseur's share of the loot was reportedly so massive, he couldn't even carry it all. But Levasseur's luck wouldn't last forever. The authorities eventually caught up to him, and in 1730, he was captured and sentenced to death by hanging. And this is where the story takes a turn for the interesting.
[00:02:40] It's 1730 and Levasseur standing on the gallows in Renown Island. As the noose is tightened around his neck, he pulls out a piece of parchment covered in strange symbols. According to the legend. He tosses it into the crowd and shouts something along the lines of find my treasure if you can. And then, well, you can guess the rest. Obviously that last part is kind of different from translation to translation, but the main message is still the same. That piece of parchment was no ordinary document. It was a cryptogram, a coded message that was supposedly revealing the location of his treasure. And let's just say this, this wasn't your average backyard treasure hunt. Deciphering the cryptogram has stumped treasure hunters, historians and codebreakers for centuries.
[00:03:26] So what exactly is in this treasure? Well, according to the stories, the Vasseur's haul from the lady of the Cape included millions in gold and jewels as well as priceless artifacts. One account even mentions a gold cross encrusted with diamonds and rubies on the side, so heavy that it took three men to carry it. If the treasure is real, it would be one of the most valuable in history.
[00:03:51] But here's the kicker. The cryptogram is incredibly complicated. It's written in symbols, numbers and strange diagrams with no clear instructions on how to solve it. Over the years, people have speculated that Levasseur might have used a combination of ancient ciphers, maybe some Masonic symbols and even some astronomical charts to encode the message. One treasure hunter in the 1940s claimed to have found a second cryptogram that matched Levasseur's. But it turned out to be a hoax. And yet the hunt goes on. Amateur sleuths, professional archaeologists and conspiracy theorists alike have scoured the islands of the Indian Ocean, digging through sand, rock and jungle in search of the elusive treasure. Some believe that it's buried in Mahe in the Seychelles. Others point to a remote cave in Madagascar. Wherever it is, no one has cracked the code yet.
[00:04:39] However, the legend of Levasseur's treasure continues to inspire modern day adventurers. In the 20th century, a man named Reginald Herbert Cruz Wilkins dedicated his life to solving the cryptogram. He believed that the treasure was hidden on an island of Mahe and even found a series of carvings that he thought were clues left by Levasseur himself. But despite decades of digging, he came up empty handed.
[00:05:03] More recently, treasure hunting groups have used high tech equipment like ground penetrating radar to search for hidden vaults. Some have even turned to artificial intelligence. To try and decode the cryptogram. And while they found bits and pieces, like old coins and fragments of pottery, the motherlode remains tantalizingly out of reach.
[00:05:21] So what are we left with? Oliver Levasseur was a man of contradictions. A ruthless pirate and a brilliant strategist. A criminal who left behind a puzzle so complex, it's become his greatest legacy. Whether his treasure is real or myth, it's captivated generations and kept the story of the buzzard alive. And maybe that's the point. After all, a treasure hunt isn't about the gold at the end of the map. It's about the journey, the thrill of the chase, and the mysteries we uncover along the way.
[00:05:48] So next time you hear about pirates and buried treasure, remember Oliver Levasseur, the buzzard who left behind more questions than answers. And who knows? Maybe his fortune's still out there. Maybe someone clever or lucky enough will find it.
[00:06:02] And that's it for today's adventure, my friends. I'm Angelo. This is Histories. And until next time, stay curious, keep exploring, and have some great adventures while you're at it. See ya.
