Pirate's booty Traditional Cache

Pirates  have been chased up the coast by the Revenue men and have made lanfall at Otterton a small fishing port,

carrying their treasure chest they have made their way inland and hid their ill-gotten gains

The true story...........

In the times of Queen Elizabeth I of England, Devon seafarers such as Sir Frances Drake

A privateer was a private person or ship that engaged in maritime warfare under a commission of war.

The commission, also known as a letter of marque empowered the person to carry on all forms of hostility permissible at sea by the usages of war, including attacking foreign vessels during wartime and taking them as prizes. Captured ships were subject to condemnation and sale under prize law  with the proceeds divided between the privateer sponsors, shipowners, captains and crew. A percentage share usually went to the issuer of the commission. Since robbery under arms was common to seaborne trade, all merchant ships were already armed. During war, naval resources were auxiliary to operations on land so privateering was a way of subsidizing state power by mobilizing armed ships and sailors.