Bernardin Nageon de L'Estang a pioneer treasure hunter or a pirate?

Anyone searching for information regarding the legendary pirate Oliver Levasseur, will sooner or later bump in to Bernardin Nageon de L'Estang, also refferd to as le Butin, and the stories of his treasures.

The stories tend to diverge, but most describes L'Estang serving as a naval officer and a corsair in the Indian Ocean in the late 1700’s. The ship L’Estang served at successfully attacked several Spanish and English ships but at one time outside the Indian coast they came to battle with a large English frigate and their captain got shot. The captain was dying and after getting convinced that L’Estang was a freemason, he gave him documents pointing out locations of hidden treasures in the Indian Ocean. These were meant to use to fight the English, but as it seems, L’Estang kept them for himself to build up his family’s wealth.

L’Estang claimed that he collected several of these treasures but that “there are still four left”.  When his father died in 1750 he inherited some land close to, what today is, Blue Bay on Mauritius where he may have hidden his treasure. In his will he gave his nephew this piece of land, and according to other letters he wrote to members of his family, this was also the location of the treasure or a clue to it:

“I am leaving to enroll and defend my country. In the event of me being killed, I am writing my will, and giving it to my nephew, Jean-Marie Nageon de L’Estang, Officer of the Reserve, the following -
Half a plot of land at Riviére La Chaux at Grand-Port, Île de France, and the following treasures rescued by the Hindus: I capsized in a creek near Point Vacoas, and I went up a river, and left in a cave all the treasures saved by the Hindus, and they are marked B.N. which is my name.”

More of these letters can be read in “Trésors du monde” by Robert Charroux.

Some states that several of these treasures from L’Estang are found, one in Belmont on Mauritius in a cave near the river La Chaux, another found 1916 at the island Pemba near Zanzibar. One possibly found on Rodrigues and finally one at a cemetery on Mauritius in 2004.

There are several similarities (as Charroux states) with the Oliver Levasseur treasure, especially as L’Estang also used cryptograms in his letters. Some people believe he is the actual author of Levassuer’s cryptogram. The genealogy of L’Estang shows that his daughter married a Francois-Blaise Savy on the Seychelles, which may have a connection to the Savy finding the trails on Oliver Levasseur on Mahe in the 1920’s, or it is just a coincidence.

This is a collection of what I have managed to find out about this mysterious man, and most of it comes from quite doubtful sources. I hope others can fill in more fact about him and it would especially be interesting to know more about the treasures found in 1916 and 2004, if these stories are true.

// Cpt Evil

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http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,34845.msg211345.html#msg211345

hi cptevil,

it would be interesting to see what you come up with about butin.

Also was it his son Andre who was at the signing of the terms for handing over the Seychelles to the British 17th may 1794 on board the "Orpheus"

Perhaps tracking down the English ship`s name may help as would be the captain`s name. Whilst they were battling off the coast of India.

wuzneme



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http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,34845.msg211500.html#msg211500

nice 

impressive find there cptevil.



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http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,34845.msg211855.html#msg211855

Interesting parallel between his story and the Le Buse legend to be sure.

Luc might be able to help you with translation, and I wouldn't be surprised if he was familiar with the treasure tales and recoveries. You might send him a pm.

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http://www.thunting.com/smf/index.php/topic,34845.msg212408.html#msg212408

Thank you all for the encouragement!

I have made an attempt to interpret the handwriting of the documents (attached here) and as I understand it Estang (Sr.) was posted by the East Indian Company on Bourbon and/or Île de France in 1737. A passenger list from 1738 shows that he and his wife and daughter arrives at Île de France 15 Jul 1738, for further transport to Bourbon.

The document from January 1740 also speaks about Bourbon, while the one from January 1741 refers to Gorée (an island and fort outside Senegal).

André Estang (Jr) emigrates to the Seychelles in 1790 to become the new Garde Magasin du Roi (royal store keeper). In June there is a meeting held for the independency of the Seychelles where he is present and his is name occurs in an official document. His name occurs several times and he is one of the signers the capitulation aboard the H.B.M ship Orpheus to captain Henry Newcome in 1794.

// Cpt.


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