Exactly Rick!
Actually it is well known that Kidd did bury 'some' amount of loot, I believe coinage, at a location on Gardiners Island, and that was I believe recovered soon after he was arrested.
He was probably one of the only authentic instances (known) of a pirate actually burying 'treasure'. This notion seems to have escalated into legend from this. I believe that Kidd made overtures to having left treasure at some secret location so as to induce his captors to allow his release to obtain it .
However, this was clearly not taken too seriously, at least outwardly, though some covertly made their own efforts toward locating it.
Toward the middle of the 19th c these tales of Kidd's treasure had become legendary, just as did this most unlikely pirate. There were people all over the northeast, especially in New York areas, who became self styled treasure hunters with all manner of bizarre twists and occult and mystical methods .
The family of noted Mormon Faith founder Joseph Smith were known to have dabbled in this pursuit, and the writers Poe and Stevenson knew of and were inspired by these tales.
Even the fabled Oak Island has become a suggested location for this supposed 'treasure' long since disproven.
As most seasoned treasure hunters often admit, in many ways, the treasure is in the hunt itself! But then, wouldn't it be nice if !.....?????
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