AND.......KHOOB-SURAT,SAID THE PIRATE-
VOYAGE TO INDIA VIA CAPTAIN KIDD’S SHIPWRECK.

Ashleshaa Khurana

‘Shiver me shattered timbers ‘went reports when the 310 year old, barnacle covered, coral encrusted Quedagh Merchant was discovered, in the pristine sea waters of the Dominican Republic, 70 feet off Catalina Island.

This was no ordinary vessel .It was one that legends are made of, on the hot trail list of every treasure hunter. The Quedagh Merchant alias Cara Merchant, ship of the notorious Captain William Kidd- Scottish privateer turned swashbuckling pirate, the only one to actually bury treasure on New York’s Gardiner’s Island.

Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island and Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Gold Bug’ are some among the works of pirate lore inspired by the history of his story.

Three years down since this invaluable find, Charles.D.Beeker, Director of Underwater Science and Academics Diving program at Indiana University (IU), USA, seeks to visit Surat, India, where The Quedagh Merchant was built in the 17th century for,’ a presentation of a unique and significant aspect.’

Beeker,who recently presented the results of his research to the Museum of London Docklands, in February 2010 pledges,” I am very committed to featuring India’s maritime heritage as represented through Captain Kidd’s captured ship ‘Quedagh Merchant’this is the only example of the unique 17th century Surratt ship building technology and should be recognized for its international significance.”

Since more than 12 years now, Beeker and IU archaeologist Geoffrey Conrad have been exploring the era when the ‘New and old worlds first met’, focusing on La Isabela Bay where the first Spanish settlement was established in 1494 by Columbus.

Appointed to research the shipwreck with his team by the Dominican Republic, Beeker had confirmed its authenticity and observed, ‘When we first removed a cannon last summer, we exposed the keel of the ship. I was just shocked that the keel was still there but the reason it’s probably there is because it was teak which is resistant to decomposition.’

The reason that the ship's keel withstood stormy undersea weather was because Gujarat’s shipbuilders used technique on their timber. Teak was treated by smearing a thin paste of chunnam (lime), gum sundrac and gingelly, letting it dry for a day to turn it hard as stone. Many a ship’s keel was lined with a vegetable based tar substitute-‘dammer’ to make it leak proof, way back in those days.

Praful Wadia whose ancestral trade is boat building, constructs and supplies boats to SMC Surat Municipal Corporation states, ‘The rabetted joints of Gujaratis ship builders makes boats thrice as capable to wade waters while remaining leak proof. Called ‘Wadhrai’ joints, the joint is in the shape of an ‘N’ like loop. Special marine wax like glue, made locally is used on the joints for caulking planks, covered with cotton and clamped tight, making it leak proof. Teak from the Dang forests used in ancient ships, had heavy content of oil which made it resistant to decay in water.’

Shipbuilding is not a just a trade in the coastal towns of Gujarat, according to our ancient texts; it has been a way of life. Geographically located to have the country’s longest coastline that runs 1600 kms, trade via sea existed here since 2 BC. Lothal’s trapezoid reservoir and terracotta boat models prove that. The Mahabharata, ancient Greek and Roman books like the Batiyas and Peryaksa, African Tibu tib, all mention ports of Gujarat

European travelers of 16th and 17th centuries, Tomes Pires, Nicolo Conti, J.Ovington to name a few, have written on the master craftsmanship of Gujratees and their skills in shipbuilding. Ships built here, outshone the ones made in Europe; skillfully constructed to survive rough voyages in spite of damage to certain parts.

Aurangzeb’s navy here, had huge, 800 ton ships like the ‘Ganj I Sawai would sail out from Surat’s Meccapul, carrying Haj pilgrims to and fro.

Lovji Nusservanji Wadia, who set up the Bombay dockyard and went on to build frigates for the British, had honed his skills in his home state, in the city of Surat his surname -Wadia comes from the word ‘Wahandia’meaning shipbuilders.

During Kidd’s trial, in 1699, Kidd had testified that Quedagh Merchant was a “ship about four hundred tons in burthen made by the Surrat moors.’

Being the only pirate ship ever discovered in the Caribbean and only one of the three discovered in America, it is extremely precious to the departments of underwater -archeology, marine biology, ecology and geology. ‘Interpretation is very important to this project, as one of our main goals is to educate the general public not only about the shipwreck but also to the fragility of the surrounding marine life and their ecosystem.’ points out Fritz Hanselmann, anthropologist and research coordinator with the Office of Underwater Science.

Months after its discovery, the U.S. Agency for International Development USAID had awarded IU $ 200,000 to turn Captain Kidd’s shipwreck site and three other underwater preserves in the Dominican Republic into a ‘no-take, no –anchor ‘living museums.

National Geographic aired a documentary and put out a DVD on the discovery and study of the ship, including teak excavation called,’Shipwreck! Captain Kidd.’

In January this year, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (biggest in the world) sponsored a cannon weighing1500 pounds, from the 26 stacked on the wreck, to be transported to the IU’s Hoosier underwater Science Conservation Lab for 5 years of study and conservation. ‘This is a great opportunity for IU faculty and a student to obtain hands on experience during the converstion of this unique artifact that has created such international interest.’ says Beeker.

Professor Sumit Ganguly, Director of India Studies at IU, who received the’Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award’the highest honour bestowed to an Indian abroad, from President Pratibha Patil, last year, says,’ Indiana University has an International reputation for our academic excellence and diverse International programs. Beyond the discovery of Captain Kidd’s shipwreck in the Caribbean Sea, I am pleased with the IU investigations of the Quedagh Merchant, as a unique example of 17th century shipbuilding techniques in Western India and among the most significant shipwrecks representative of this era of India’s maritime heritage.’

“People often ask me if I found any of the famous treasure on board,” smiles Charles Beeker, I point out that,” No other 17th century ships had rabetted joints with tongue in groove construction. We believe this is a living museum. The treasure in this case, is the wreck itself. The preserve will provide a treasure of sorts for people to enjoy for hundreds of years’

Someday, he hopes to sail the shores and share the true wealth of Quedagh Merchant in her homeland-India.



PRIVATEER OR PIRATE?
Source-National Geographic
Captain Kidd blurred the line between pirate and privateer. Acting originally as a government issued privateer, he was ultimately executed for piracy. By either name, Kidd left behind a legacy and a mystery. Learn more about the man behind the tales:

Captain William Kidd was the only pirate known to ever actually bury treasure—on New York’s Gardiner’s Island.

Privateers were captains enlisted by the government to hunt pirates. A privateer captain would split the booty he captured with his crew and the government.

Although he’s often depicted as a flamboyant cutthroat pirate, William Kidd was actually an accomplished sailor and a businessman of considerable means.

London’s Execution Dock served for over 400 years as the prime spot to hang pirates…including William Kidd.

While the skull-and-crossbones is a popular pirate symbol, Golden Age pirates all had their own, unique flags.

The bodies of hanged pirates were often covered in tar and hung on the shore in a metal cage called a gibbet as a warning to would-be pirates.

During the first attempt to hang Captain Kidd, the rope broke and he fell. His executioners had to hang him a second time.

After his execution, the remainder of Kidd’s treasure was donated to Greenwich Hospital, a facility for British sailors.

SHIP’S NAMES, A STORY BY ITSELF
Frederick Hanselman, IU.

In the petition of Armenian owners to the Admiralty Court it was named several times QUIDAH MERCHANT alias KARY MERCHANT. Most likely CARA is misspelled KARY.

Quedagh is most likely after the Sultanate Kedah. This was common to give geographical names: India Merchant, Armenian Merchant or Surat Merchant.

What is Kary merchant? One hypothesis is that the Kalantar family which possessed the vessel had a monopole right, granted by the East India Company for the trade of garnets to England. In Armenian Kary Merchant is Stone (precise) Merchant.


ARMENIAN ANGLE.
Dr.Pavel Galoumian, along with his spouse Isabella heads ANAHIT-Armenian Nautical Association for the History of Intermaritime Trade. They are directly involved in archival and field research and had visited Surat last year .Both believe,” The Quedagh Merchant was not an ordinary vessel even the very fact of the appearance of an exotic oriental vessel built in India and belonged to Armenians in Caribbean waters is unique. More important is that the Quedagh Merchant find is valuable when it comes to the whole history of international relations and their evolution towards the modern philosophy, namely that of cooperation and fair trade. She represents an important historical heritage for many great nations of 17th century and merit a wide international recognition. “


PIRATE LINGO
Barnacles –Marine creatures related to crabs and lobsters.

Cackle Fruit-Chicken eggs.

Duffle-Everything a sailor owns, including bag.

Holystone-Bars of stone used to scrub decks, making sailors look like they are kneeling and praying.

Jacob’s Ladder-Rope ladder on ships.

Monkey-Small cannon.

Salmagundi-Popular pirate dish with chopped meat, eggs, anchovies, onions seasoned with garlic, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Black Jack- Large drinking mugs of leather made stiff by applying tar.

Scuttlebutt-Gossip on board deck while passing barrel of booze around.