Olivier Levasseur – “La Buse”
The golden era of piracy – In the footsteps of Olivier Levasseur
Piracy reached its infamous peak between 1680 and 1725 – a period that has gone down in history as the golden age of piracy. In the warm waters of the Caribbean, between the trade routes of the European colonial powers, privateers and pirates experienced a short but intense heyday. Names such as Edward “Blackbeard” Teach, Bartholomew Roberts, Henry Every and Anne Bonny became legends, their deeds the stuff of countless stories.
But with growing pressure from naval fleets and bounty hunters, many pirates began to look for new hunting grounds. The Indian Ocean, with its rich merchant ships from India, Africa and the Far East, became the new stage for their dangerous game. One man in particular stood out here: Olivier Levasseur, also known as La Buse – the buzzard.
Levasseur was once a French privateer who later turned to piracy. With bold determination and strategic skill, he captured numerous ships – including the legendary Portuguese Nossa Senhora do Cabo, whose treasure is still considered one of the greatest in pirate history. According to legend, Levasseur threw a mysterious cryptogram shortly before his execution – a riddle that supposedly leads to his hidden treasure and remains undeciphered to this day.
This page takes you on a journey into a world full of myths, adventures and forgotten shores. Welcome to the age of pirates!
The death sentence (1730)
All articles La Buse
(Click on the image or title to display the article.)
ON THE AFRICAN COAST by Marina Carter
French pirate Olivier Le Vasseur, alias La Buse, is sailing off West Africa, where the captain of a captured British slave ship provides a revealing insight into life on board his ship.
AT THE COMOROS by Marina Carter
La Buse is shipwrecked with his ship off the Comoros and is picked up by the pirate captain Taylor. Together they engage in a memorable battle with a ship belonging to the British East India Company.
THE RAID ON REUNION by Marina Carter
La Buse and his companions embark on one of their most lucrative raids – one of the unfortunate victims is the outgoing Portuguese Viceroy of India.
LA BUSE WRITES A LETTER by Marina Carter
Why did Le Vasseur give up the chance of amnesty? A letter discovered in the archives reveals the astonishing truth.
THE PIRATE WARLORD by Marina Carter
How and why did the French pirate become the warlord of a Malagasy king? This little-known and astonishing episode from the life of La Buse is revealed here.
ARRESTED AND TRIED by Marina Carter
Find out how the notorious La Buse was finally captured, put in chains and transported to the island of La Réunion to be tried for his pirate activities.
LEGACY AND LIES by Marina Carter
How did a disgracefully hanged French pirate secure a kind of immortality? And why is so much of his legend false?
SHIPSWRACKS & SALVAGE by Marina Carter
New discoveries have been made that finally mark a turning point in the history of La Buse. Tangible artifacts of cultural heritage have been found!
All articles Cryptogram
The cipher that has been sprouting the fantasies of many people in all its aspects for 90 years.
All articles Backgrounds
Stories and history about the “Golden Era of Piracy”, La Buse and the cryptogram.