Divers discover 300-year-old pirate treasure in Madagascar

Paradise of Madagascar where divers have found pirate treasure. Image by Frontierofficial / CC BY 2.0

Treasure belonging to notorious 17th-Century Scottish pirate William Kidd is said to have been discovered in the waters off Madagascar. The first of potentially many 50kg silver bars was brought to shore on Thursday on the island of Sainte Marie – it was then presented to Madagascar’s president at a special ceremony. Appointed by the British crown in the to tackle piracy and capture French ships, Kidd eventually turned to piracy himself before being executed (on his third hanging) in 1701. Legend has it that Kidd, who inspired Robert Louis Stevenson when writing Treasure Island, hid much of his loot around the world. Read more: bbc.co.uk