SOLUTION

	THE SOLUTION^©

The full solution of how the maps were decoded and the island located will be published on this site as soon as the expedition is underway, and my book published.

The island site lies at the exact coordinates I calculated after decoding the Palmer/Kidd's maps. I looked for the island at the location I did ~ because I decoded the clues contained on the maps. I did not stumble on this location by chance. When I publish the solution in full, you will be able to see how it would have been impossible to discover the island site by chance. You will not find the island site featured on any nautical chart or atlas of the region. This is the reason why the island has remained mysteriously hidden for so long. If you want to see an image of the island I discovered, together with the likely scenario surrounding the whole event, click on the TELL ME MORE link at the bottom of this page.

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. - Sherlock Holmes.

After solving what I believe to be the site of the Island depicted on the maps, I then concentrated on solving the clues that would locate the main cache site on the island. I discovered that Kidd cleverly coded his cache site on his "Key" map into two sets of clues and answers. You have to crack both clue sets to find the exact location of his cache site.

THE KEY MAP ~ Kidd's main cache site identified

The chart shown below is known as the “Key Map” – and appears to have been drawn with much more care than the "Morgan Map". This, I believe, is because in addition to encoding the islands coordinates, the map also gives reference points to calculate the geometric system I believe Kidd used to hide the relocation site of his main cache on the island.

The map is a geometrical template. The references to “Wrecks”, “Anchorage” and “Smugglers Cove” should not be interpreted literally, as there are no such geographical locations. They are simply reference points in his geometrical encryption and explains why he "bellies out" the true shape of the island (as depicted on the Palmer/Morgan map) on his map ~ to accommodate his reference points, triangles and accompanying text.

Using the disguised reference points, (Wrecks X2, Anchorage and Smugglers Cove) I have calculated and drawn four right-angled triangles in red. The lines drawn between the apex of the "A" in CHINA and the middle "T" in TURTLES, and the two "WRECK" reference points underneath "CHINA SEA" are his base lines. The intersection point of the two base lines is the point of the 90º angle of all four triangles. I believe the crossover point of the four right angled triangles (all uniquely meet or cross over at a single location) indicate Kidd's main cache site, and where I believe (from other clues Kidd gave) he relocated three chests or boxes before departing for America in November 1698. I qualify why I believe Kidd concealed his cache on the island rather than transport it back to America on the History Page.

This explains why Kidd wrote the word four in the bottom margin - (four triangles) followed by center of tri. The letter "C" in CHINA is slightly detached from the other letters in the word because I believe Kidd wrote the letter "A" first as part of his geometrical template.

After Kidd had plotted his (approximate) cache site position on the map using the triangulation method described above, he would then have plotted the exact cache site position on the ground using the trigonometry method described below. From his (approximate) cache site position identified from his triangulation chart, he would have taken line of sight bearings (using his compass and/or back staff) to each of the three sighting object points I have marked on the diagram below. The convergence of the three sighting points at a set angle ~ in this case 55° ~ indicates what I believe to be his exact cache site location on the ground. ~ where did I get 55° from? ~ I explain this later.

Kidd's trigonometry method
I believe Kidd would have used this method to re-locate his cache site ~ "on the ground" ~ on his return to the island to recover his "goods and treasure"

From his vantage point on the side of the hill (or large sand dune) overlooking the lagoon, I believe Kidd took line of sight bearings to "fix" the exact location of his cache site ~ using what I interpret to be a cairn of stones as one bearing reference point (which may also have been his magnetic north), the eastern edge (as we look at it on the map shown above) of the rocks in the lagoon as another bearing reference point, and what I interpret to be three marker stones (or three stumps) as his third bearing reference point.

The resulting angles are at exactly 55° intervals. The intersection point of the three bearings at 55° intervals ~ I believe marks the exact spot of his cache site on the ground ~ (which as you can see is virtually identical to the position plotted from the four right angled triangles shown in the preceding diagram).

In the left hand margin, Kidd has written ~ "3 stumps - 55 feet." ~ which I believe means "3 line of sight bearings at 55° intervals" ~ referring to the trigonometry method described above. ~ Amongst other things ~ as I also believe that part of Kidd's methodology was to cleverly use a single clue line ~ that gave ambiguous or dual answers.

The clue "3 stumps - 55 feet" means absolutely nothing without having prior knowledge of the approximate location of his cache site, from which to plot the line of sight bearings to find the exact location of his cache site. This is why I believe the two diagrams shown above need to be read together.

If you extend the diagonal line (bottom left ~ top right), you will find it connects to the corners of the inner border of the chart, again underlining the geometric nature of his chart. This also explains why the right hand and bottom margins are wider than the left hand and top margins. (Kidd drew the inner borders to conform with his trigonometry plot described above)

The lines and angles shown on the diagrams above were plotted on a chart of the same size as Kidd's original chart to ensure accuracy. (8.3ins X 5.8ins) The diagrams shown above are smaller than the original, but retain the same (height and width) perspective.

This indicates, if indeed this is the system Kidd used on the ground, that Kidd did not bury his treasure, and then issue coded instructions of how to locate it ~ his method was quite the opposite of this, and far more sophisticated ~ he appears to have geometrically plotted his cache site first, and then buried his treasure at the plotted location. To successfully find the exact cache site on the ground, you need to solve BOTH sets of clues as shown above. (solving one clue set without the other is futile)

This is one of the reasons why I believe that the Kidd charts do not convey a series of instructions that is romantically associated with the popular conception of pirate treasure charts. i.e.:- from the stump of this tree, take 30 paces north, 22 paces east, 16 paces west, then look for 6 rocks ~ and so on. This is the stuff of fiction and fantasy. Nevertheless, I know some people who are still trying to identify this type of clue on Kidd's charts.

Kidd was an intelligent and experienced navigator and mariner. It makes absolute sense for him to have used the tools of his trade, instruments and calculus that he felt comfortable with ~ compass, dividers, protractor, parallel ruler, back staff and a trigonometry "fix" ~ to conceal the exact location of his treasure site.

Back staff or Davis Quadrant

For over 70 years, since Kidd's charts were first discovered, people have been trying to interpret the charts. People claim to have identified Satanic, Masonic, Egyptian hieroglyphic, Aztec and ancient Greek symbolism. Some people have studied the night skies as Kidd would have seen them in 1698. Other people have employed dowsers, used crystals suspended over the charts, and some claim to have even "talked" to Kidd from beyond the grave. The only reason these people have resorted to their extreme techniques is because they couldn't solve the obvious element ~ the simple but sophisticated code that Kidd used ~ to unlock the secret of the charts.

At least these people attempted to interpret the charts. Unfortunately most people have resorted to scanning charts of the worlds oceans with magnifying glasses in their futile attempt to identify the location of Kidd's island. Because they haven't been able to locate Kidd's distinctively shaped island, some have suggested that the shape of the island must have changed over the years, and opted for a "similar" shaped island, and then interpreted the clues on the charts to "fit in" with their "wonderful discovery!! Others have even suggested that the charts do not relate to an island at all, but to a land locked region!! Some people are convinced that the charts form part of a universal key, and without finding the "missing" mysterious piece of the jig-saw ~ the charts can not be deciphered. All these people have one thing in common ~ they couldn't break Kidd's code.

I do not apologize for being forthright in my observations, as I believe someone has to stand up and state the obvious, otherwise people will continue to perceive and interpret fanciful complications that are just not there. The charts convey two pieces of information only; the coordinates of his island ~ and the location of his cache site on the island ~ which I have deciphered and explained above. I believe that it's all so logical and basically very straight forward.

The decoding of the system I believe Kidd used to conceal his cache site is obviously very important. However, of even greater importance is the understanding of how Kidd thought things through. This gives an invaluable insight into Kidd's intelligence, application, artisanship and mind set.

George Edmunds, in his book "Kidd - The Search For His Treasure", went some way to identify the geometric clues that Kidd gave on this chart (base lines). Unfortunately his interpretation did not extend to the triangulation and trigonometry systems that I believe Kidd employed, preferring instead to opt for the middle "T" in turtles as Kidd's predicted cache site. The basis for George's preference is held in his interpretation of the word "TURTLES".

Having identified what I believe to be his main cache site, the possibility of there being other (secondary) cache sites on the island should not be discounted.