LEGACY AND LIES

The hanging of La Buse marks the end of the so-called great age of piracy in the region, but gave birth to a legend. It was said that, mounting the scaffold, he threw into the crowd a cryptogram that indicated where he had stashed his loot. People have been searching for this supposed treasure ever since. The legend is discussed at length elsewhere on this website, and here it will suffice to say that such is the interest in the story of La Buse that visitors to Réunion, asking to see his grave, are taken to a cemetery which was not even opened until fifty years after the pirate’s death, shown a black basalt headstone inscribed with a commemorative text and accompanied by a purpose-built sign! This fake heritage was definitively debunked in 2010 when it was discovered that the tombstone purporting to be that of La Buse had simply been reversed, and that the hidden epitaph was that of a former slave woman Delphine Hélod who died in 1836. It remains nevertheless one of the curious tourist attractions on the French island of Réunion today.

For more information about La Buse’s career, follow this link to purchase a copy of “LA BUSE: The Life and Legend of French Pirate Olivier Le Vasseur” (e-book).

Click on the picture for a sample.

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All articles Cryptogram

The cipher that has been sprouting the fantasies of many people in all its aspects for 90 years.

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All articles La Buse

The life and work of the most famous French pirate of the 18th century.

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All articles Backgrounds

Stories and history about the “Golden Era of Piracy”, La Buse and the cryptogram.

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