THE LEGEND OF CAPT. BLACK JACK STARLING AND THE LOST TREASURE OF THE PIRATE SHIP, THE GRAY PEARL V “THE PALMER RIVER CHEST”
In part 4 I revealed how I found the treasure map that lead to this series. In that cache I also revealed that along with the treasure I found the log book of the Gray Pearl. It took a while to restore the log book so that it was readable without falling apart. Once the log was in good enough shape I was able to go through it and there were many interesting things hidden in it’s pages. Like all pirates, the crew of The Gray Pearl kept there loot with them. There was no such thing as banks or investments so the treasure was always close at hand. It was like a “Catch 22”, they had all this loot but no place to spend it. They couldn’t just walk into a town and trade gold for anything because people would know right away who they were. As more and more loot accumulated it had to be dealt with. This is the log entry for April 15, 1735:
15 April, 1735: It has been agreed that we now possess too much gold to be transported by the ship should we have to leave quickly. Since it is, or will be known that Prudence Island is our hideout the island will be the first place that will be searched for buried treasure. Another place of a secure nature must be found where we can bury the treasure that will be virtually unknown.
16 April, 1735: Milton "Moose Boy" Merriweather and George "The Ghost" Greeleigh will leave at dusk to explore the upper reaches of the Palmer River, looking for a place to bury a chest. Moose Boy hailed from Friendship Maine and was a true Downeaster, at home at sea and on land. Strong and confident he would be a ship's captain one day. Goerge was called the ghost because he would disappear for periods of time and no one knew where he went. Finally, one day, he was found sleeping in a closed treasure chest. He said sleeping with all that gold was very restful.
19 April, 1735: Upon the return of Moose Boy and George a plan has been laid. At dusk tonight, on the incoming moon tide, a longboat will ride the tide up the Warren River. Oarlocks will be muffled with rags to slip silently past the Warren Garrison. Once past the Warren waterfront the longboat will proceed up the Palmer River to a spot deemed by Capt. Jack to be safe to bury a chest. The chest must be buried in time for the longboat to take advantage of the outgoing tide and darkness to slip past the Warren waterfront again and be back at Prudence Island before dawn.
20 April, 1735: The longboat returned safely will all men and the chest is well hidden in the upper reaches of the Palmer River, far from any civilization.
This was 1735, Warren was a small little village, not yet officially a town for another 10 years or so. Passing from the Warren River to the Palmer River (where the bike path bridge crosses the river) the pirates must have felt they were entering the wilderness. They rowed up far enough to be well cleared, what was then, the town of Warren. Along the shore of the Palmer River a long way from any prying eyes they buried their chest. It has sat here ever since. For some reason this area remained relatively quiet so nobody ever found the chest or knew it existed. Along with the log entry for April 18th was a map showing the trip up the Palmer River and the spot where the chest was buried. In keeping with this pirate tale a cache has been placed as close as possible to the spot of , what is now, the 3rd chest in this series.
The "chest" is a medium sized lock & lock container with a log and treasure. It is hidden on Warren Conservation land. Park at the parking co-ordinates. Walk along the south side of the Fed-X fence to the cell tower. From the SE corner of the cell tower follow the path to the south, over a small stream. When the trail forks along the berm take the left trail that goes through some ferns. Please replace as found.