THE RAID ON RÉUNION

In April 1721, the pirate crews of La Buse and Taylor made their way to the French island of Bourbon. Arriving off St Denis they found lying there, ‘a large Portuguese ship of 70 guns, which they took with small resistance, by reason she had lost all her masts and all save 21 of her guns in a great storm.’ This ship was the Nossa Senhora do Cabo, carrying a rich cargo of Indian and Chinese silks, textiles, porcelain, and diamonds, much of it the property of several important passengers: the archbishop of Goa, and Dom Luis Carlos Ignacio Xavier de Meneses, the Count of Ericeira – outgoing viceroy of Portuguese India. The booty was estimated to be worth more than £900,000, with each pirate receiving scores of small diamonds and a large wad of cash.

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

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

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

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