Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Claws of the Raven
    Claws of the Raven
    Claws of the Raven
    Ebook407 pages5 hours

    Claws of the Raven

    By Derek Hart

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    The central theme of Claws of the Raven hasn't varied much from the first book written by Derek Hart. Love is still a wonderful curse and humans go out of their way to complicate every step along the way. When all is said and done, even the author can't manipulate the characters to do and react in ways that are out of character. No matter how hard one tries to make it happen, men and women don't just fall in love and all is bliss. Whenever somebody is brave, or foolish enough, to say, "I love you" then instantly the complications begin. Pirates, buccaneers and action on the high seas. Wonderful stuff.

    Right there is why one should never shy away from the emotion. If life weren't a challenge, then it would be a bore. Which do you prefer? The author will still stake his soul on the worthiness of a battle fought for love, no matter what the outcome. For in the midst of this struggle, a person will grow and learn and feel. It may end in sorrow and pain, but you've got to be alive to experience that. One must fall in love, for it to shatter your heart in the first place.

    Now that you've had many opportunities to read Derek Hart's style, what conclusions can you make about the author? In everything that hits the paper, as words and paragraphs, the writer is uncovering clues to what lies behind the order in which those symbols are arranged. So also arises the essence of people in the author's world that have touched his heart and soul.

    Remember that every writer has a different motivation for why they must put those words on paper. For Derek Hart, it is the clear and simple drive to entertain, while still arguing and celebrating life. The author doesn't have the answers, but keeps looking for clues into the human condition. Derek loves to write what he likes to read and many of his characters are drawn from people he has known.

    One final thought. Since Derek Hart writes as a passion, combined with an unquenchable thirst to shed light on the wonders of love and life, he will always strive to make that connection for the reader as well. So grab some refreshment, find a comfortable spot, and travel to places of adventure, action, romance, and even fantasy. In these fictional worlds, people make love with everything they have, and fight for justice and honor. Doesn't that sound like something you'd like to do for awhile?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDerek Hart
    Release dateJun 1, 2011
    ISBN9781458183965
    Claws of the Raven
    Author

    Derek Hart

    Derek Hart is the prolific author of 28 action and adventure novels, known for their historical accuracy, while still maintaining a high level of entertainment. Romance is also a vital part of Derek Hart's trademark style and his novels generally appeal to men and women alike. Mr. Hart authored Secret of the Dragon's Eye, his first novel aimed at all age groups, which met with instant success and outstanding reviews. The author has since followed with Secret of the Dragon's Breath, Secret of the Dragon's Claw, Secret of the Dragon's Scales and Secret of the Dragon's Teeth. The final volume of the 6-episode series, Secret of the Dragon's Wings, will be available in November of 2018. He has since started a new series, post-apocalyptic in nature, with Minerva's Shield and Nike's Chariot. The third installment, Apollo's Plague came out in November 2017. Abandoned was published in March 2018 and Game Over premiered in June 2018. List of published books: Secret of the Dragon’s Eye Secret of the Dragon’s Breath Secret of the Dragon’s Claw Secret of the Dragon’s Scales Secret of the Dragon’s Teeth Secret of the Dragon’s Wings Claws of the Raven Danger Cruise Favor for FDR Crooked Cross Factor Tracks of the Predator For Love or Honor Bound Tales of the Yellow Silk Element of Surprise Seas Aflame Ice Flotilla High Altitude Low Opening Tangles of Truth Shadows in Replay Flag of Her Choosing Tidal Trap Dangerous (Poetry) Executive Firepower The CARLA Conspiracy The Wreckchasers Minerva's Shield Nike's Chariot Apollo's Plague Abandoned Game Over Mercury's Wings Before the Dead Walked Books coming soon: The Samuel Clemens Affair Pearl and Topaz By the Moon Darkly Broadmoor Manor Neptune's Trident Operation Sovereign Primary Weapon Saturn's Fire Tails of Thaddeus Enchanted Mesa Eagle Blue Last Guidon Excess Baggage Container Carta Codex Shipwreckers Romeo Tango The 5x5 Gang Desert Salvage

    Read more from Derek Hart

    Related to Claws of the Raven

    Related ebooks

    Romance For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Hell On High water

      Dec 28, 2022

      Hell On High water
      8 min read

    • Article

      Waves Of Fear

      May 28, 2020

      Waves Of Fear
      5 min read

    • Article

      Pirates

      Feb 25, 2022

      Pirates
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Lost Pirate Republic

      Apr 21, 2022

      The Lost Pirate Republic
      13 min read

    • Article

      Tudor Pirates

      Jan 25, 2024

      Tudor Pirates
      14 min read

    • Article

      Muslim Rulers Of The Waves

      Oct 28, 2021

      Muslim Rulers Of The Waves
      5 min read

    • Article

      An Ear For Trouble

      Mar 5, 2019

      An Ear For Trouble
      9 min read

    • Article

      The West Africa Squadron

      Dec 19, 2017

      The West Africa Squadron
      8 min read

    • Article

      Ships Library

      Dec 24, 2021

      John Grehan and Alexander Nicoll Frontline Books, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS, www.pen-and-sword.co.uk; price £14.99 plus postage By early 1944, offensives undertaken by the United States armed forces had driven the Japanese f

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Pirate Republic

      Jul 16, 2020

      The Pirate Republic
      7 min read

    • Article

      This Month In… 1709

      Jan 19, 2023

      This Month In… 1709
      3 min read

    • Article

      Pirates Of The Caribbean

      Oct 13, 2021

      Pirates Of The Caribbean
      5 min read

    • Article

      A Legacy Of Hope And Glory

      Jun 9, 2021

      DESPITE my birthplace in the Mississippi Delta and my early years in schools whose teachers tried hard to educate the children in the poorest state in the Union, I reckon I had a head start when I arrived in Suffolk as the bride of a farmer. White ch

      3 min read

    • Article

      A Century Of Terror

      Oct 28, 2021

      A group of French and English buccaneers (privateers who attack Spanish ships) establish a base at Tortuga, a rocky island off the coast of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. It will become a major haven for pirates and smugglers over the coming years. Ja

      3 min read

    • Article

      WRECK Ommendations

      Aug 30, 2018

      Florida’s Lost Galleon: The Emanuel Point Shipwreck Edited by Rodger Smith Florida waters have long been considered a treasure hunters’ paradise as there are many Spanish Galleons and other historical vessels that have met their fate and wrecked ther

      6 min read

    • Article

      Hunting Antelope

      Feb 22, 2022

      Hunting Antelope
      11 min read

    • Article

      Orphans of Empire

      Jan 12, 2021

      Orphans of Empire
      11 min read

    • Article

      The Origins Of El Dorado

      Feb 24, 2022

      The Origins Of El Dorado
      8 min read

    • Article

      Pirate Hunters

      Apr 18, 2024

      Pirate Hunters
      5 min read

    • Article

      On Chalk Time

      Sep 19, 2022

      On Chalk Time
      12 min read

    • Article

      WRECKommendations

      Feb 22, 2020

      WRECKommendations
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Beaver Trade Begins

      Sep 1, 2022

      As early as 1517, ships from France, Spain, and Portugal crossed the Atlantic Ocean to fish off the coast of present-day Newfoundland, Canada. They were met by the Indigenous people who lived there. Those people were willing to trade the beaver pelts

      3 min read

    • Article

      England’s Nomads

      Mar 16, 2022

      England’s Nomads
      4 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Claws of the Raven

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Claws of the Raven - Derek Hart

      Claws of the Raven

      by Derek Hart

      **********

      Smashwords Edition

      Published by

      Derek Hart on Smashwords

      Claws of the Raven

      Copyright - 2011 Derek Hart

      All rights reserved.No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the publisher.

      Smashwords Edition License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people.If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with.If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

      This book is also available as print

      **********

      Table of Contents

      Foreword

      Preface

      Acknowledgements

      Introduction

      Prologue

      Chapter 1 - Rapier

      Chapter 2 - What Price Love?

      Chapter 3 - Crossed Swords

      Chapter 4 - Vilest Soul

      Chapter 5 - A Solution for the Crown

      Chapter 6 - The Fateful Meeting

      Chapter 7 - The Hunt

      Chapter 8 - Uneasy Alliance

      Chapter 9 - Pirate Against Pirate

      Chapter 10 - Hawk’s Gamble

      Chapter 11 - Isabella’s Dream

      Chapter 12 - Unexpected Ally

      Chapter 13 - Attack on Cartagena

      Chapter 14 - Betrayed

      Chapter 15 - Catalina’s Passion

      Chapter 16 - Trap a Hawk

      Chapter 17 - Elizabeth Hardy

      Chapter 18 - Island of Destiny

      Chapter 19 - Duncan Black’s Revenge

      Chapter 20 - The Panther’s Eye

      Chapter 21 - Crossed Swords

      Epilogue

      About the Author

      Notes

      **********

      Foreword

      Dream Cruise

      Where will these winds take me?

      As captain of this schooner grand,

      Order sails unfurled to catch the breezes,

      Compass course for lands unknown.

      Come stormy gales from ocean wild,

      Deadening calm of stranded hull,

      Fight pirates, who steal and maim,

      Masthead beauty to protect master and crew.

      Set sail from harbor safe and sound,

      Journey forth to seek adventure,

      Without your smile and gentle caress,

      Flounder aground on uncharted shoals.

      Perhaps a buccaneer I shall forever be,

      Corsair cresting waves racing forth,

      Brigand with cunning and desire,

      Yet whose flag shall I display?

      With spyglass raised to eye to behold,

      I cannot help but focus on thee,

      Fairest woman on distant, unreachable shore,

      Offer shelter for my soul to free.

      Rapier drawn to cross swords with fools,

      Will life be just a series of duels?

      I seek so much more than can be described,

      Yet from this deck I learned to fly.

      Listen to the wind, my love,

      How it comes from our backs,

      Does not linger, but hurries on,

      Keeps us searching, as we grow old.

      So, I plant my blade in timber plank before me,

      Embrace you with a rogue’s gleam,

      Raise my head in laughter pure and warm,

      Let us explore the seven seas hand-in-hand.

      Where will these winds take us?

      Anywhere you desire enough to go,

      Distant lands that lay within your heart,

      Would you care to steer for awhile?

      **********

      **********

      Preface

      The War of Jenkins’ Ear 1739 - 1743

      Sometimes called King George’s War or a prelude to it (since in the New World those two wars were not distinctly separate), the strangely named War of Jenkins’ Ear had an improbable and superficial origin, and an unusually tragic ending. In 1731, a Spanish coast guard sloop off Havana boarded the Rebecca, captained by English privateer Robert Jenkins, as he made his way from Jamaica to London. The Spanish found no evidence of privateering, but repeatedly tortured Jenkins, finally slicing off his ear with his cutlass and told him to take it to King George as a token of what they had in mind for the king. Seven years later Jenkins was invited by a certain party of warmongers to display his pickled ear to Parliament, thereby inflaming British and American colonial opinion against Spain. The government of Hugh Walpole reluctantly declared war. The press and later historians could not resist naming the war for its theatrical beginning.

      The context was fifty years of simmering colonial boundary disputes, growing competition for trade in the New World, and Britain’s sense that Spain was vulnerable. By the Treaty of Utecht in 1713, Britain was allowed to participate in slave traffic with the Spanish colonies, but the Spanish fleet interfered with this activity. After a short war in 1727-29, the Treaty of Seville in 1729 granted Spain the right to search any ship in its waters, but they enforced it capriciously in order to entrap the British. Britain was aroused by repeated tales of mistreatment of its seamen such as Jenkins. Spain in turn sought satisfaction for its claims of depredations by the British on its shipping, illegal British logging on the Honduras coast, and British encroachment on the Georgia-Florida border.

      The Georgia colony had been established in 1733 as a military buffer between Spain and the vaguely defined colonies of the Carolinas, and the new colony infringed significantly on Spanish territorial claims. In 1735 the Spanish launched a surprise attack on Savannah, and Governor Oglethorpe decided as a precaution to build a series of defensive forts and raise his own regiment. After securing his western flank from the French by treaties with friendly Indian tribes, Georgia was in a position to threaten Spanish Florida.

      Upon declaration of war, Britain invited the American colonies to supply troops, and the colonial quotas were formed into a four-battalion regiment which was sent to the West Indies to link up with a British force (including six regiments of marines raised for the purpose) for a major attack on the Spanish Main. (This was the first foreign war for the colonies that were later to become the United States of America.) The British aim was nothing less than the overthrow of Spanish hegemony in the West Indies and control of its colonial trade.

      Acknowledgements

      To Eric Nitschke, Reference Librarian with Emory University General Libraries in Atlanta, Georgia.His assistance regarding pirates in literature, movies, and historical fact was instrumental in the research conducted for this novel.

      To Joan Hoffman, a residential and commercial property expert, who lives on the island of Roatán and was very helpful with the author’s inquiries.

      To Museum Manager Jeff Sorg, of Pirate Soul, a museum dedicated just to pirates, located in Key West, Florida.Jeff’s knowledge and love of pirate history and the artifacts associated with those times in the Caribbean, were most helpful.

      Cover art by Eric Hammond

      Introduction

      Roatán is a true tropical island, with steeply sloping jungle covered hills, long stretches of sandy beaches and beautiful fringing coral reefs.The island is 35 miles long and an average of three miles wide, 40 miles off the north coast of Honduras.With many deep water inlets, it was a safe haven for sailors for centuries.Home originally to the Paya Indians, the island passed from country to country during the conquest of the Americas in the 16th century and fought over by the British and Spanish crowns for possession of the hard woods both on the island and mainland.Roatán played a colorful roll during the pirates of the Caribbean era. This island became the stronghold of Henry Morgan, who ravaged and plundered the Spanish Main.

      It was from Roatán the raiding expeditions were planned and organized, with whole flotillas of pirate vessels from many nations taking part, sacking cities such as Granada in Nicaragua, Porto Bello and Panama City in their wake. There were an estimated 5,000 pirates on Roatán during its heyday.Contrary to modern depictions, the pirates were well disciplined and organized and able to build sophisticated fortifications for the defense of the island.So much so, in fact, that it was not until the 1740’s that a combined Spanish army and naval offensive could rid the island of the scourge of the Caribbean.

      The British occupied Roatán for many years and the island named Rattan, on some old maps, carries a legacy in the language and culture. Many family names were linked to the old pirate days with their Scottish, Irish and British ancestry.There are McNabs, Jacksons, Fosters, Ebanks, Burkes and many more on the Bay Islands and as far away as the Cayman Islands as well.

      No Caribbean island would be complete without the other component of that era.African slaves were brought over to work the fields.Roatán had the infamous pleasure of being the dumping ground for the most rebellious and troublesome slaves the British could not control.The Garifuna people were one such group left to fend for themselves on the Island, today they comprise a distinct ethnic group with a village on the East end of the island called Punta Gorda.They have a wonderful culture of song and dance linked back to their West African heritage.Although still predominantly English speaking, the island became multilingual as it integrated with the Spanish speaking mainland.

      When Columbus visited the Bay Islands in the 15th Century, the Paya Indians, who inhabited Roatán, welcomed him and his crew.The bounty of the Caribbean and the island’s forests allowed these peaceful islanders to lead a hunting and gathering lifestyle. They were also involved in active trade with the Mayans and other tribes on what is now the Honduran mainland. The Payas collected stingray barbs and mother of pearl shells to exchange for cocoa and corn from the mainland.

      The Bay Islands have a colorful history quite distinct to that of mainland Honduras. Indeed, the islanders are native English speakers and are proud of their traditions. During the pre-Hispanic period, the islands were inhabited by the Paya Indians and visited frequently by Mayan traders. In the 17th century, they became a refuge for British pirates who preyed on Spanish ships setting out from the nearby port of Trujillo on the long voyage back to the mother country. There was even a pirate stronghold on Roatán called Port Royal. According to local legend, the loot from the Henry Morgan’s 1671 raid on Panama is buried somewhere on the island. Britain and Spain fought over the Bay Islands during the 18th century and in 1797, the British marooned 5,000 rebel Garifunas from St. Vincent on their shores. Most of them eventually migrated to the mainland, and farmers from the Cayman Islands later settled the islands. In 1859, Britain ceded the islands to Honduras.

      Chapters or other Divisions

      Prologue

      Treasure Hunters

      On June 22, 1965, John Preston Hawkson and Darrell V. Radant stepped off the 4-seater airplane at the airport in Coxen Hole, on the shores of Roatán Island, one of the Bay Islands in the Gulf of Honduras.They were immediately assaulted by taxi drivers, all wanting to take them to the West End, which they were told in broken Spanish, was where all the gringos were supposed to go.

      The West End was a popular tourist district, where scuba divers gathered from all over the world.Roatán was famous for its amazingly clear water and vast reefs, but these two men weren’t there for any tropical diving trip.They had come to explore Roatán’s forgotten history, which to Hawkson was far more interesting than the diving, even though the ocean which surrounded the island was some of the most beautiful water in the entire world.

      Some of the first people to ever walk the shores of Roatán, next to the native Payas, were the pirates of the Spanish Main.Roatán had seen some pretty historical figures in its day.Of course the most notorious was Sir Henry Morgan, who was said to have stopped on Roatán sometime in the late 1600’s, with his ships loaded with untold amounts of wealth.

      Hawkson and Radant’s first destination on Roatán was Oakridge, at the far end of the island, a village worth a visit just to marvel at its design.Oakridge was a very ancient town built on stilts all around the bay and water taxis were a necessity to get anywhere. The visitors were immediately struck with how incredibly friendly the locals were.

      John mentioned Henry Morgan to the water taxi driver, as he was taking them across the bay to the Reef House, their hotel.Perhaps it was a mistake, for the man wouldn’t stop talking about how he believed all of Henry Morgan’s treasure could still be found on the island.However, Darrell believed this story to be true, because of just how much treasure had already been found on the island.

      One of the first people to find buried treasure on Roatán was an archaeologist named Mitchell Leigh, who did a lot of exploring around the Bay Islands back in the 1920’s and 30’s.Leigh lived on Roatán for seven years and familiarized himself with every inch of the island.He was one of the first people to explore the pirate fortress ruins of Old Port Royal.

      It was a recorded fact that near these ruins Leigh discovered four chests, filled to the brim with gold bullion, which were reaped from the Spanish by the pirates of Roatán.As the story goes, Mitchell Leigh’s friend, Dr. William Ball, was walking around one of the nearby keys with a compass in hand.Suddenly the compass started going mad, with the needle spinning around in every direction.The doctor signaled for Leigh, who at the time was out in his boat offshore.Dr. Ball told Leigh about the compass’s behavior and the two of them decided that the only thing that would make it behave in such a way was a large amount of metal buried under the surface.The two men wasted no time and started digging like mad.Within minutes the two explorers had unearthed two large wooden chests overflowing with gold doubloons.

      In a fever of excitement, the men continued digging after their initial discovery and discovered two more treasure chests of equal size. They placed the chests back in the ground for later recovery and searched the rest of the island with the compass. They found nothing more.

      Several hours later, word came to Leigh that his discovery had been reported to the police by one of the locals.Someone must have witnessed them digging up the chests full of treasure.

      Leigh also learned that the police were going to investigate the dig site the next morning.With this information in mind, he and Dr. Ball decided not to take any chances.The explorers recovered three of the four chests that night and loaded them onto Leigh’ boat, then quickly set sail across active seas to Belize, the capital of British Honduras.

      Leigh anchored his Amigo 150 miles off the coast and headed to the mainland on a small dingy.He returned several hours later with lumber and the men constructed three new chests for their treasure, dumping the old crusty ones overboard. They then headed back inland and booked passage on a steamer headed for New York, the treasure safely stored in the cargo hold of the ship, labeled Mayan Artifacts.

      When the explorers arrived in New York, Mitchell Leigh sold off his share of the treasure for six million dollars.He moved to England, where he bought himself a castle in the English countryside.Leigh later wrote his biography, but there was no mention of this incident.

      Besides finding pirate treasure on Roatán, Leigh also made several other discoveries, which were important to the archaeological world.According to rumors, the Island of Santa Helena was where Leigh had actually located most of these finds.The tiny islet sat off the far end of Roatán Island.

      With all these tales fresh in their minds, Hawkson and Radant cruised out into the harbor on a small skiff they had charted from the Reef House, heading for Santa Helena.Both men had agreed to explore this island first, after spending years studying all the details of Leigh’s discoveries.

      The only civilization found near Santa Helena was the very ancient Garifuna settlement called Helene.Like its nearest neighbor Oakridge, it too was built on stilts. However, unlike Oakridge, the buildings in the village of Helene were in very bad condition and the occupants were extremely poor. The natives fished for a living, selling their catch for a few lempiras at the markets in Oakridge on Sunday.

      On their way to the other side of Santa Helena, the men saw several local kids fishing, sitting on the end of their cayukas with their fishing lines wrapped around old laundry bottles.They looked very happy, living in their tropical paradise, free from western influence.

      When Hawkson and Radant arrived on the island of Santa Helena, they immediately noticed the limestone cliffs shooting up from the beautiful virgin jungle.As they landed on the shores of the island, Hawkson declared he had truly found one of the last paradises on earth.

      The limestone cliffs of Santa Helena were honeycombed with caves and inside these caves Mitchell Leigh believed he made one of his most important discoveries. He explored the caverns with his daughter Sammy and some of the locals from Roatán.As they excavated the floors of the caves, they started discovering all kinds of strange artifacts.Leigh had never seen anything like them in all his days of archaeology.The artifacts were neither Mayan nor Toltec, which were the only two known cultures that had been found in the area.

      So what culture were they from?

      Leigh later wrote that he believed the relics were from a civilization more ancient then either the Mayans or Toltecs.He believed they were from a culture existing before the sinking of one of the greatest civilizations known to mankind, the legendary Atlantis.

      Leigh believed that the islands which contained Roatán were pieces of the legendary continent, which was mentioned by Plato so long ago.Leigh theorized the artifacts found on Santa Helena were left by the survivors of this tragic event.

      In other parts of Central America there were all sorts of strange discoveries, such as a lake in Nicaragua, high in the mountains, where sharks reside. Sharks are historically only found in salt water, but this is the only fresh-water lake in the world where sharks have ever been reported.Leigh believed the sharks were trapped there when the mountains climbed out of the sea during the greatest earthquake in the planet’s history.

      The sharks have survived for thousands of years in that lake, because they evolved to fresh water sharks, a rare phenomenon indeed.Of course, Leigh was scorned by academic scientists for his claims, since most historians argued that he found nothing more than a trading post belonging to the Mayans.

      However, his discoveries were still very important, because in the view of many conventional archaeologists, there was no contact between the Mayans and other cultures. If this trading post was truly Mayan, then the only culture that far south would be the Incas of South America. This in itself would have been a very important discovery.

      Leigh claimed to have found evidence which shot down this theory as well.In his excavations he unearthed an artifact of branded sheep.Archaeologists had always denied the use of domesticated animals by the Mayans.This discovery suggested that domestic animals were part of everyday activities.

      So was Mitchell Leigh right, that Santa Helena was a piece of Atlantis?

      The artifacts that Leigh uncovered were later positively identified as Payan, but neither Hawkson nor Radant were successful in finding any reference to this ancient culture in any library.

      Radant did manage to locate documentation of Payan culture being found deep in mainland Honduras.It was rumored there was a lost city called Ciudad Blanca or White City, which supposedly was hidden within the 1.5 million acre Rio Plato Biosphere reserve.

      After just a few days, Hawkson began hearing stories from Roatán locals that there were remains of temples on the ocean floor, but since neither man was a licensed scuba diver, they couldn’t be sure the stories were true.They had to be satisfied with exploring some of Santa Helena’s caves.

      Their local guide led them up a windy path through the jungle to the limestone caves.Hawkson and Radant crawled inside on their hands and knees with flashlights.As they inched along, they spotted a large tarantula, which Hawkson moved out of the way with a stick.Continuing through the narrow passageway, Radant noticed another rather nasty looking spider dangling from the ceiling just inches above Hawkson’s head.Then they encountered a giant dirt mound, with all kinds of slimly looking beetles crawling out of the top.All of this insect life spurred the explorers to move on in haste.

      A few minutes later, the cave started widening and they were able to stand upright. The passageway was now going downward deeper into the uncharted blackness of the earth.It was so humid in the cave that both were sweating profusely.When they reached the bottom of the cave, it opened up into a large room and as they shined the beams of the flashlights around, they were startled by an eerie discovery.

      Sitting in front of them was an ancient coffin.Hawkson slowly walked over to it, his heart pounding with intensity.They pried off the lid and staring up at them were the skeletal eyes of what could be a dead Atlantean.Old rags were draped over his bones.

      What his eyes must have seen, they could only wonder.There were also several artifacts in the coffin, which were left in place. The artifacts proved to Radant that they were looking at the bones of a dead Paya, not a pirate burial.In complete silence they stared at the remains for several minutes, before replacing the lid on the coffin and heading back to the surface.

      When the men reached the beach again, both were emotionally shaken.Neither spoke, but Radant was overwhelmed at how little the place had changed since Mitchell Leigh had described it.

      Radant spoke finally.My God, John, how much more must still be waiting to be explored on this island, as well as the other smaller islands?

      John Hawkson had grown up on adventure yarns and believed the ghost of his ancestor, Captain Preston Hawk, a notorious Caribbean pirate, was guiding him on his quest for lost treasure.Captain Hawk had successfully plundered several Spanish treasure galleons along the Spanish Main, as well as performing admirably for the British government’s war against France and Spain in the late 1730’s.

      John Hawkson had first come to Roatán in 1963, because of the discovery of some ancient maps by his father.These charts were drawn by Captain Clayton Floyd, who was a surveyor with the Royal Navy back in 1748.The maps showed in detail the ruins of the pirate town on Roatán called Augusta, which was used by the infamous Henry Morgan.John had convinced his friend Radant that if they could locate this town, they would surely find pirate treasure.

      So Hawkson and Radant hired a different local guide named Peter, to take them around to several of the ruins found on George Island and near Port Royal Harbor itself. Hawkson, like most treasure hunters, believed that after Henry Morgan conducted his famous raid on Panama, he brought most of his wealth to Roatán, which according to Hawkson would be worth over 50 million dollars on the current market.

      Port Royal played a very important role for British pirates towards the end of the sixteenth century.The Spanish empire was operating several huge gold mines in the mountains of Honduras.Using captured Mayans as their slaves, the Spanish hauled out untold quantities of gold, which was loaded on their galleons and shipped back to Spain. On their way across the Gulf of Honduras, the galleons passed by Roatán, ripe for the picking by the pirates using Port Royal as their base of operations.

      Another fabled treasure Hawkson was hoping to find was the Chain of Huascar, which was a giant gold chain weighing over 10 tons. It once belonged to the Inca King Huascar.At the height of the Inca Empire it was used to surround the great square in Cuzco, the Inca capital, but was taken away and hidden when the Spaniard Pizarro was marching his army across Peru. The chain was never found.

      Could it be on Roatán?

      What about the mysterious seven-foot-tall gold statue of the Virgin Mary praying, which was created by Spanish priests and placed inside a Catholic church in Panama City?Records in the archives of Seville, Spain showed it was shipped from Panama City to Colon sometime in the mid-eighteenth century.It was then loaded on a ship for transport to Spain, but never arrived.Was it too plundered by the pirates from Roatán and hidden away in some secret cave?

      Hawkson thought all these possibilities were worth investigating.

      Radant’s first objective, after the quick cruise around Port Royal, was to locate the actual location of the ancient city of Augusta.According to the maps Hawkson had supplied, the town rested near the mouth of one of the many rivers which flowed down into the ocean.

      But which one?

      None of the rivers they looked at had any flat ground near the mouth of the river, where a town could have stood.Both Hawkson and Radant decided it was time to take their guide Peter into their confidence.Perhaps the local knew a river where flat land could be found somewhere near the mouth.

      Peter enthusiastically agreed to help Hawkson and Radant with their quest, but for 20% of any treasure found.The adventurers eagerly accepted his proposal.Peter told the treasure hunters the only place that matched the description of Augusta, was a place called Fort Frederick, a half mile away and just across the lagoon from where they were.

      Within minutes the treasure hunters were headed across the lagoon to Fort Frederick.As they approached the beach, Radant pointed out a low straight wall of shaped stones, which indicated there were ruins nearby.Both Hawkson and Radant’s excitement was beginning to escalate, as they believed they were getting closer to their objective.

      Peter pulled the boat up on the beautiful tropical beach and unloaded their gear from the boat, as Radant and Hawkson started clearing away the mosquito infested jungle with machetes.After several of hours of chopping through the jungle, the men stopped in their tracks.They had uncovered a giant stone wall, with openings for cannons.

      Barely able to control their excitement, they dropped their machetes.

      Hawkson announced, This must have been the pirate fort which guarded the port of Augusta.

      Gaining self-control once again, the men, now joined by Peter, cleared away several more feet of jungle, hoping to find traces of other buildings.

      No such luck.

      The buildings must be farther in, they agreed.

      They continued hacking away at the jungle.Hours passed and they were just ready to give up, when Radant yelled out.

      Look! he exclaimed.

      The foundation of an ancient building revealed itself from the jungle’s grasp.

      Had they had found Augusta?

      Radant, who was the major investor for this expedition, went back to the boat with Peter to fetch two metal detectors.Hawkson continued to clear away the jungle, exposing foundation after foundation.As soon as Radant returned, they began searching the ruins with the detectors.Within moments they had several strong echoes. The first few targets turned out to be rusted cannon balls, so the initial thrill started to fade.

      It had been a long, hot, and bug-infested day, but as Hawkson dug into the last spot the metal detector had located, his shovel hit something hard.Peter and Radant quickly joined him, digging furiously around the shape, their adrenalin pumping.Eventually they unearthed an ancient encrusted box.Lifting it out of the hole, it was quite heavy.Then for several minutes the men just stood there, staring at what they had found.Everyone was afraid to open it, in case it turned out to be empty, or full of junk.

      Finally, Hawkson tried to pry loose the lid, but the hinges were so rusted it proved impossible.Radant told Hawkson to move out the way and began smashing the chest with his shovel, breaking the rusty hinges to pieces.With incredible anticipation, the men lifted off the broken lid.The three of them gasped with delight.

      Inside were stacks of silver ingots and gold doubloons. It was worth a small fortune.They quickly divided the loot into three portions.Peter stashed his share into his windbreaker, tying the sleeves to form a bundle.However, Hawkson and Radant had come prepared with specially designed shipping crates.

      One hour after their discovery at Augusta, Hawkson and Radant were cruising back to Port Royal Harbor, with Peter at the helm.The three men were lost in the sense of wonder that comes from such a discovery.As they were closing on Oakridge, Hawkson looked at his maps again and recognized the small islands on their port side.

      Hey, Peter, what islands are those? Hawkson asked.

      Peter replied, They are named the Cow and the Calf.

      Hawkson studied the map for a second, noting that two islands were shaped very much like a mother and her calf.He thought it looked like an excellent place for a pirate to stash treasure.Having been so lucky already, Hawkson decided to push his luck.

      Peter, pull up to the bigger island, so we can have a better look, Hawkson requested.

      No bother, sir, their guide replied

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1