Once upon a time, Cipher Mysteries commenter Christopher Maggi posted a link (very kindly) to a page with some vintage photos of Mauritius, including the following image of a treasure hunt in the Baie de Corsaire (Klondike) in 1908:
However, the profusely-illustrated “Pirates & Privateers in Mauritius” (2014) by Denis Piat lists (p.71) a long sequence of excavations made on Mauritius in search of pirate treasure (though not including 1908):
* 1860 – east coast, near the “Grande Retraite dwelling house”
* 1902 and 1912 – Klondike [as per the Klondyke Company I blogged about here]
* 1925 – Walhalla
* 1926 – Grand Port area, Pointe Vacoas
* 1927 – Belmont, close to Poudre d’Or
* 1932 – Petit-Sable, Pointe Vacoas
* 1940 – Klondike
* 1950 – Tamarin
* 1960 – Pointe aux Roches [this “was explored by a diviner”]
Piat also shows part of a (somewhat fake-looking?) map courtesy of Patrick Ferrat, that he says “belonged to Philippe Chevreau de Montléhu, a Mauritian treasure hunter who searched and excavated the Barachois de Belmont for 20 years without success”. (p.59)
Sounds like an interesting character, but… Montlé-who, you may quite reasonably ask?
Philippe Chevreau de Montléhu
There seems to be almost nothing written about him. However, I did find an article in German by Sonia Shinde or Richard Dobson (it wasn’t clear to me who wrote it), from the online magazine Merian: it included a nice picture of Philippe Chevreau de Montléhu on a Mauritian beach:
Just to be kind, I translated the section of it (fairly freely, admittedly, but I don’t think it’s much the worse for the encounter) that related to him for you all. Enjoy!
It must be somewhere on the island. Somewhere along the Rivière Noire in the West, perhaps, or at least at Souillac in the south? Or maybe just behind the airport in the middle of the tomato and sugar cane fields? Philippe Chevreau de Montléhu is on the trail of the treasure of the pirate Bernardin Nageon de l’Estang.
The pirate buried three iron barrels filled with doubloons and ingots, as well as a copper casket overflowing with flawless diamonds from the Indian mines of Vizapoure and Golconda, the places where such legendary stones as the Koh-i-noor and the Hope Diamond were found. Half a dozen slaves helped him, their skeletons now guarding the treasure. The hoard will be worth nine million euros, if not more, and Chevreau feels he is extremely close. A sixth share will go to the five to seven financiers who helped him, and another share to the owners of the lands. “For me, then there is still more than enough. I will keep one to two million, the rest I will donate”, he promises.
Philippe Chevreau de Montléhu, an elderly man from a wealthy French-Mauritian family, seems to have spent his share of the booty before the treasure is found. Always elegantly dressed and with an air of serenity and composure, he has researched pirate treasure for over 20 years. Though his riches will probably die with him, according to the island gossip, he speaks of a good 6000 euros which he has already invested. He has – alas – found nothing yet: but success is surely only a matter of time. Ultimately, the directions to the treasure are precise: “Follow the course of the river, cross the gorge and take the road to the east until you see the signs of the corsairs.”
[Folge dem Lauf des Flusses, durchquere die Schlucht und nimm den Weg nach Osten, bis du die Zeichen der Korsaren siehst.]
The pirate Nageon himself wrote this down as a legacy for his nephew Justin: but unfortunately the nephew found nothing. When he finally stopped in the dark of night with his uncle’s testament in his hands, destiny hit him with the force of a axe-blow on the beach in Mauritius… his body was never found. But the story of the fabled treasure has haunted the island for more than 200 years.
No one knows how many treasure hunters there are in Mauritius today. A good handful is rumored to have devoted their life and career to the search for Lost Treasure, though many others armed with metal detectors wander at random through the basalt caves and on the beaches. And when their search has eaten up all their capital, they go to the beaches and tourist spots instead, and hunt there for lost watches, bracelets, rings and rupees. It’s not big money, sure, but it can be enough to keep their dream alive.
The other treasures – the proper ones – were left behind from busy times: the British and French fought bitterly in the 19th century to gain control of the Ile de France, nowadays called Mauritius. Privateers, legitimized by the letters of marque they carried, plundered and sunk everything flying the wrong flag. Robert Surcouf, the King of Corsairs, made life difficult for the English – making himself and his crew rich in the process.
This proverbial buck must finally have stopped somewhere. For what did not disappear on card tables, in taverns or onto the necklines of the harbor whores ended up hidden, buried in caves or buried in the sand, and marked with secret signs. For example, the outlines of boots or anchors were often found carved into the rock, as pirate symbols of money, as indeed were strangely shaped stones.
Chevreau has found just such a stone: it looks like a boot and now sits in his garden. For inexperienced visitors, this would seem to be no more than a freak of nature: but for him it is a clue, a fateful sign. The sugar barons, he says, flattened and bulldozed everything, even the signs left behind by the Corsairs. The river whose course he is trying to follow is no longer there, but you can still see the bright stripes of limestone which run through the dark rocks. Might this be a trail for treasure hunters to follow – or merely traces of the sedimented fertilizer the plantation owners used to treat their fields with?
Chevreau keeps his most precious treasures in a red tin with a rusted lid: stones and a few coins, which (I’m sorry to say) are too young to have come from the Golden Age of Pirates at the end of the 18th century.
Hi Nick,
tuppence worth assumptions here…. i think it needs to be found which vessels BN was on over the course of the years and who he had allegiance to , in order to see where these inferred treasures originally came fro.
Malraux was fairly affluent in 1793 , let alone when he died in 1799 on his last cruise.
BN must have been highly trusted if passed these documents by malroux. so going back to 1793/1974 , Malraux owned ‘success’ who he gave command to Jean Francois Hodul , a few trips out returning with cargos of slaves proved financially good for hodoul , he now begins building ‘olivette’ later taken by british ‘centurion’ ‘resistance ‘ ‘orpheus’
7th jan 1797 ‘apollo(n) arrives at port louis , mauiritus , owned by malroux? hodul owned half shares.
8th may 1797 apollo left mauritius , returning 9th nov 1797 , in that time under captain hodoul , they amassed a fortune , reputed to be 703,479,803 francs worth. the apollo was then sold to Valliant , who then took command , left on a cruise 22 aug 1798 , yes hodul was named on the records as being on board , but , as it was noted , his 1st child was born 20th june 1799 , therefore placing conceived around sept 1798 , suggesting he was not present on that voyage, as you stated , dropped off in mahe. valiant was captured 10th november 1798.
my question is , was BN present under Hodouls captaincy in 1797 , which would allow him a significant share? is this part of his treasures.
If BN stayed put when valiant left aug 1798 , but joined malraux 25 aug 1799 on ‘iphigenia’ then yes he got the documents , but also part of the treasures of the pearl , given they had 3 days to transfer it onto iphigenia , which later returned to mauritius? or did it wreck off vacoa , if as suggested by BN as to what was hidden , from another source , the same was taken from the pearl?
Finally , if again , BN joined Hodoul on another cruise…
BN letter 10th may 1800
HODUL leaves for another cruise 15th may 1800 , has few successes , but is later captured by HMS ‘Arrogant’ 4th aug 1800.
thus leading to imprisionment at Fort William in Calcutta , where one of the Surcoff brothers later ends up , Nicholas Surcoff.
They appear to be released in 1802 at the peace treaty of Amiens , which shortly after the last letter is written.
Am guessing the documents Malraux had were for his own personal caches , and BN also had his own caches via ventures with Hodoul , and perhaps with Malraux pre Apollo(n) given the simple fact that BN got those documents.
But, then again there were at least 6 privateers/corsairs loitering around the area at that time , so BN could of been present on any of those , so who knows.
Rookie Observer: there’s a difference between pirates and privateers – while all the seamen on a pirate ship had broadly equal shares (the captain typically only had a double share, but sometimes cabin boys had a half share), on a privateer the State typically got a huge slice (typically nearly all) as did the owner of the ship, while the seamen got a much smaller slice… and even then, this was often very much delayed while a Prize Court worked out the niceties. So: even a seaman on a successful privateer ship (e.g. Hodoul 1797) may well not have ended up with an epic deal of money.
But perhaps more importantly, you have to be careful about the ‘layering’ of the BN documents. Specifically, I’ve previously argued that the author of BN3 (the “missing corsair”) seems to have been quite different from the author of BN1/BN2, so there’s a very strong case that BN himself was never on the Apollon. Just something to bear in mind.
Hi Nick ,
Of course there is a difference in description , but how much was that rule stuck by , if using Governor Hamilton in the west Indies using commissions for privateers only to line his own pockets in 1715?
As i mentioned it’s assumption on my part , and was attempting to understand just were exactly these alleged treasures came from.
The letters and their dates…. appear out of whack if compared to a wikitree i recently found (given if it is correct)
Andre Bernadine Nageon Estang , lorient , Morbihan , Bretagne
17th Feb 1718 – 20th Oct 1750 (was this the young sea officer in the French East India Company?)
2 of his children ….
Andre Ambrose Nageon Estang , Port Louis , Mauritius
1st Oct 1745 – 3rd Feb 1798 (via an author you have already mentioned Deryk Scarr , he would of been the Royal store keeper appointed to Mahe Island pp11-12 , also worth checking page 125 i think , about another andre estang in 1817 had power , authorities dare not approach him)
Etienne Olivier Nageon Estang
26th Dec 1791 , Mauritius – 4th Dec 1856 , Mahe
Andre Ambrose had a son called
Jean Marie Justin Nageon Estang , Mauritius
8th Aug 1770 – 9th May 1798
With these dates , it throws everything out. Unless his brother Etienne (if that age gap seems plausible ) may have received the letters , but perhaps these documents never reached any Estang?
or is there another Apollo(n)?
Since your attempting to get to the root of this mystery , figured you might enjoy the following to see which tree branches out.
http://henri.maurel.pagesperso-orange.fr/pool&johnstone_d01.htm
The only other person in that vicinity was Charles Hector Theodart comte d’estang , he was in Mauritius in 1759 , dependant on what source you read , one source has him relinquishing his naval position and financed out of his own pocket two vessels ‘conde’ and ‘l’expedtion’ to go on a cruise.
Who was the Kings Councillor on Mauritius in those times? Malroux / Malavois?
Rookie Observer: all we know for sure is that Bernardin Nageon Estang isn’t/wasn’t any of the above, so we’re in the realms of guesswork.
For what it’s worth, my own prediction is that he was born illegitimately in the Seychelles, and that his father was Andre Bernadin Nageon Estang (who spent some time in the Seychelles). But I have not a jot of proof for that, which is exactly as much as anyone elese has for their theories about him. 🙂
influencing privateer dabbling into piracy?
http://www.cambaceres.org/relation/financiers/financiers.htm
“On April 3,1791, the French National Assembly issues that “the trade of India, beyond the Cape of Good Hope, is free for all the French” and thus deprives the company of its monopoly. Joined together in general assembly on April 10, the shareholders name 8 police chiefs charged to study a possible continuation of the activity, among those Dangirard (uncle de Mallet), Monneron (founder of the Case of the Accounts – currents), and Sabatier. On May 23, the shareholders decide the renewal of activity and name 4 police chiefs Delessert, Fulchiron, Gauthier and Mallet charged to write the statutes of the new Eat India Company. The capital is tiny room to thirty million and the number of counters brought back to seven: Pondichéry, Yanaon, Mahé, Canton, Surate, Mauritius and the island of the Meeting. Liberalization and the Revolution do not obstruct the walk of the businesses which know a regular growth and the course of the action reaches 1.500 lives.”
Thanks for the quotation Nick.
I have found some books related to Nageon de l’Estang that I have not yet read, I don’t know if you know all references :
Histoire de Sorel, Abbée Couillard Deprés (Page 83 ?)
Histoire De Maurice, Comte De Saxe, Duc De Courlande Et De …, Volume 2
Bourbon l’île aux tresors, Patrice Hoffschir, Mauritius Printing Specialists (Pte) Ltd, 2002 – 115 pages
The Mauritius Reports: Being Judgments of the Supreme Court of Mauritius, of the Judges and Master Thereof, Mauritius. Supreme Court, Government Printer, South Africa, 1939
Visitors’ guide to Mauritius and Réunion: how to get there, what to see, where to stay, Marco Turco, Southern Book Publishers, 1 oct. 1995 – 267 pages
Aventures en mer: trésors pirates corsaires et aventures vécues, Paul Fleuriau-Château, Ed. Le Printemps, 2001 – 185 pages
Slaving and Slavery in the Indian Ocean, Deryck Scarr
Christophe: the Fleuriau-Château book I knew about, and the Hoffschir book too: while I knew about Deryck Scarr’s book but didn’t know that it covered Nageon l’Estang. But how did you find the others? Google Books search?
I do not know anymore. I have a lot of notes about that Nageaon de l’Estang, Vasseur, … and some other “ciphers mysteries” but I’m sure that there is a reference to Nageon de l’Estang.
I believe it’s Philippe Chevreau de Montléhu and not Philippe de Chevreau Montléhu (see e-mail).
Christophe: the “Histoire de Sorel” doesn’t seem to help much – http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/numtexte/122632.pdf
And was the Histoire De Maurice, Comte De Saxe, (etc) the one that Manu was so interested in because of the widow Nageon?
And (now that I’ve looked online), I remember seeing Deryck Scarr’s book before: a little bit about Andre Nageon de l’Estaing, but not much. Would be worth looking at to get an idea of the sources Scarr used to support his narrative, though. 🙂
The Mauritius Reports mention a (20th century) notary called Nageon de l’Estang, but nothing of any great interest there, though. 🙁
Christophe: my mistake, now corrected.
“a (20th century) notary called nageon de L’Estang, but nothing of great interest there”
for what it’s worth your prediction is worth it , we all have our own theories as you mention , but my hat is off to you for being the first person to actually have gone further than anyone in squeezing the facts out of so little to begin with.
Another source of information for you although it’s predominantly about the island itself but highly informative is HIstory of MAuritius , Charles Grant. If you mange to get a good one the there are 3 maps of the island tucked inside , 2 of which tucked in back cover , dating 1771- 1801
Now, the quote I took from your message above.
May I suggest a lil trip to Kew and dig deep on this fella. You might , just might be pleasantly surprised 😉
Oh & his first name is Bernadine
Bonjour Mr Nickpelling!
A bientôt!
Patrick LIZE
souvenirs, souvenirs !!!! De 12 années de rêves et de travail !!!!!!
Philippe is my uncle. The treasure stories are legend…was bought up hearing about these!!
Do you have the map of the treasure of st antoine?
Rajiv: I’m pretty sure I do, I remember the unusual lettering and it being on a left-hand page. What book is it in?
Rajiv: yes, I remember now, it’s mentioned in Denis Piat’s (2014) “Pirates and Privateers in Mauritius”, p.60. I discussed the map (briefly) here in 2016:
https://ciphermysteries.com/2016/08/03/philippe-chevreau-de-montlehu
Have you seen the full map?
Very interesting symbolic cipher map! Who ever made it knew what he was doing doing. The title seems to imply that the treasure belongs to Saint-Antoine and if this was the name given to the area then I understand. Whoever was In charged of burying the treasure, did it for a specific reason? If a pirate would have drawn the map it would have not been titled. Why have a title? The map has been drawn in it’s simplicity but in away to deceive the reader. It is sort of a Templar cipher map. Do not be misled by its simplicity! First of all time has changed and certain objects have changed in time. But there are some things that have not. The way that someone makes a plan to make a map fore someone else has not changed. What I say is based on the observation of different types of pirates and their ways of making symbolic cipher maps. He first names the treasure to lead you to the island which is called the major map or playing field? He then draws the outline of the map in away that he is using it to describe a water way. The island is not very big per say? No map maker will ever draw a map that you cannot define in his or her eyes? And since you have to find it with your eyes? He has to give you the opportunity! If you think about it, then you look for it! It is not easy at first, but if you keep learning you will catch on! So the second mapping is called the general area where he is going to have to give you the view once he draws the symbols that are going to define the location. The water way, if it is a water way? Will fall into place of the map that he is making. He draws the arrow as a symbol of direction and misdirection. The arrow is pointed from the south to the north. It is displaying where the treasure came from. This means that you are relatively located to the southwest of the island shooting an arrow towards St Antoine? The pirate can only draw what he sees but somethings may not look the same today? But since he knows that, he will give you something that will not change much over the years? So he is going to use an iconic rock structure that you can see or find! He will use the outline or some of the outline to include the shady shadow area? I hope that rings a bell! He is going to enlarge the large directional cross to throw you off? The shaded area is the actual view! The shaded area has a small cross which is the third mapping called the immediate area. The symbol on the left of the arrow and the right are ground features that may have changed? But your not going to care if you believe or find what your looking for. History is also helpful in defining what someone is capable of doing. On such an island on that specific time frame no one will venture to the interior part of the island because someone can see you plus it takes too much time? Stick to the coastline and quickly bury your treasure cause some one is coming to take it! You know what I think? I think that it is hidden on to of a cliff! But this is just me reading something that I think I can read so if it doesn’t get you anywhere, then just forget it! Just trying to help good luck
I skipped a few details, so I might as well mention them. The directional transitional cross is used to direct, guide, point, and describe parts of the map or story to a Templar that can read symbolic symbols used to describe the story of a particular place and how to go about it in order to locate that actual place. A symbolic cipher map is what it is? Nothing more? You cannot be taught in school this trade. The teachings were made out of secrecy. Is there someone who could teach the trade? Maybe? In a secret society? Who knows? I know by studying the pirates and their symbolic cipher maps. The five stones found in Arizona, four found one lost, carry these type of crosses! They explain how to go about finding the gold mine. They even have the view of the immediate rock structure with its shadowy area located in the canyon itself! It doesn’t get better than that for those who are non believers in symbolic cipher mapping. It is a story book made out of stone. I can teach you that but, not now, maybe one day. Now when I say I know many pirates, I mean it. Don’t ever ask me where I get my knowledge because I just told you and you are not going to get all that information from me without going through Nick! Because he lets me speak my mind and I appreciate that! So the cross is going to let the Templar know that the map is describing the treasure belonging to St. Antoine? Who ever that is? The arrow on the cross specifies that and it point to the direction to make sure he understands the position he should be in if his is carrying true map of the area. The cross is supposed to be turned to the left until it finds true north in order to position map of the area in question? This is where you must pay attention? If your not? The arrow carries the view and by reaching true north it will align the view to the correct directional position so you can see it when you find it. This is but only one trick of many to deceive the reader. The arrow drags the view into position and the arrow directs the Templar as how to go about reaching this point. The starting point is St. Antoine, the cross is going to rotate counter clockwise which is the direction the pirates must take around the island in order to find the entry point! The map has the entry point penciled in red. There is a brown colored area near the entry point because everything means something. The entry point points to the direction of the place in question? Remember to find the highest view point so you can see what the pirates was looking at when he made the map!! Now I don’t care who finds it! All I care is that you know I can find it! The treasure if found will be disputed between the government the treasure hunter and the Historical society? And I hope that the Historical society gets there first! Besides how hard is it to just dig up treasure? So for now, do what you or not, but I’m moving on to another treasure! But not yet! I need a vacation! If you have any questions talk to Nick!
Since I have not left to the coast yet! I decided to do more research for,Philippe. I’m curious as to what Saint Antoine treasures really is? I’m hopeful that someone will find out soon. The cipher map has the instructions to find the treasure by water. The cipher message given to the son were instructions to find the treasure by land. He instructed him to follow the course of the river which runs towards the south. In order to do that you must cross part of black river gorge. The road to the east ran along the southern coastline right above the mouth of Baie Du Cap river. He was instructed to come down the river course first before picking up the road that led to the east. He was told to pay attention to the signs of the corsairs which can only be natural ground features that are visible and recognizable by their shaded areas. The map carries the shaded area that is going to fit the picture letting him know that he had found the exact location. The map and the instructions will come together as one because they both take you to the same location. The shaded area on the map carries a small cross barely visible which describes the immediate area in question? Cipher clues and cipher maps can be made up in many different ways, But they must fit the story and the direction of where, you must go! The were only a few roads So don’t over think this? Good luck on your venture! Philippe!