Captain Kidd’s treasure, Gardiners Island

In 1699 the pirate Captain William Kidd, sailing home to answer for his crimes, buried a cache of gold, silver and jewels on Gardiners Island off the eastern tip of Long Island. Colonial officials dug it up and shipped it to London as evidence at his trial, where it helped hang him. That much is documented fact; the legend holds he salted away far more up the Hudson and along the Sound that was never found, which has kept two centuries of shovels busy.