Unknown Madagascar Attractions: Sainte Marie Pirate Cemetery

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

A small island is lost off the coast of Madagascar Nosy-Burakha (Nosy Boraha). Tourists visit this place for beaches, diving and the opportunity to watch whales, which often appear very close. The tropical flora and fauna of the island is attractive for its colorful orchids and wild lemurs. But just a few centuries ago, this piece of land, washed by the Indian Ocean, was called differently and was the place where a fascinating pirate story unfolded.

Madagascar is located not far from the trade route along which caravans of ships from the East Indies to Europe used to go. Their route lay along the coast of Africa, where bays and bays were located, in which it was possible to take shelter from storms and replenish food supplies. But these beautiful tropical locations have also become ideal places for pirates. Corsairs from England, Portugal, France and America have made Madagascar their home, hideout and strategically advantageous ambush site.

In 1685 in a cozy bay on the island Saint marie (Île Sainte-Marie) fugitive Adam Buldridge settled down and established his own base for sea robbers here. He established a marketing channel for mining in New York, began to patrol the coastal waters, collect tribute from the surrounding Malagasy tribes. Baldridge's business flourished, he even built himself a stone palace.

After the struggle with the corsairs began in the Caribbean, they began to move to Madagascar. There were also "celebrities" in Sainte-Marie: William Kidd, Robert Calliford, Olivier Levasseur, Henry Avery, Thomas Tew. According to rumors, it was here, in the northern part of Madagascar, that the utopian pirate republic of Libertalia existed. True, neither its existence nor whereabouts have ever been proven.

In the 18th century, a real pirate city grew up on the long island of Sainte-Marie off the east coast of Madagascar. Up to a thousand treasure hunters lived here; they called this place their home, no one threatened them here. The pirates took wives from the local Betsimisaraka tribe, as a result of which their mulatto descendants remained on the island. The old and feeble corsairs, who had served their time, peacefully lived out their days on the island. This continued until the end of the 18th century, when the French colonized Madagascar and drove the pirates from Sainte-Marie.

To this day, on the island of Sainte-Marie (now called Nosy-Buraha), a pirate cemetery has been preserved, perhaps the only one in the world. There are more than 30 tombstones here, although there were once at least a hundred of them. For centuries, severe tropical downpours washed away inscriptions and destroyed stones. In addition to Christian crosses, the sarcophagi are decorated with skulls and bones. Names, surnames, nicknames, dates of life of the deceased, significant events are embossed here.

In the center of the cemetery is a large black tomb, which the locals call the final resting place of Captain Kidd. They say that he was buried there upright as punishment for all his sins.

Of all the gravestones, only a part of the later ones have readable inscriptions. So, under one of the sarcophagi rests “Joseph Pierre Lechartier, who was born on April 10, 17 ?? of the year. Arrived on the Normandy flute in November 1821. He died on Sainte-Marie on March 14, 1834. The monument was erected by his friend Hulin.

Sometimes the gravestones are set in rows, as if members of the same family were buried there.

Nowadays, the pirate past of this part of Madagascar sometimes reminds of itself. Several years ago, archaeologist John de Bry discovered a map from 1733, where this land was called "Pirate Island" and with the help of which he was able to identify the remains of three sunken ships. In general, many famous corsairs' ships rest near the island: "Adventure" by William Kidd, "Ruparel" ("November"), frigate "Moha" by Robert Calliford, "Flying Dragon" by Christopher Condon, "New Soldier" by Dirk Chivers.

In May 2015, a 50 kg metal ingot was found off the coast of Madagascar. It bore ancient symbols that led to it being mistaken for Captain Kidd's hidden treasure. But UNESCO experts found out that the ingot is 95% lead and is "a broken-off part of the port facility at Sainte-Marie." This is another illustration of the fact that today, dead pirates are of special interest. Their cultural and material heritage remains one of the popular tourist destinations in Madagascar.

It is interesting that, despite his bloodthirsty business, pirates were very superstitious and believed in many signs.