Original subtitles

Clifford: WE'VE FOUND CLOSE TO A MILLION COINS.

RIGHT NEXT TO THIS MUMMY.

ACCORDING TO LEGEND, THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PIRATE OF ALL TIME...

BLACK SAM BELLAMY.

...LOST HIS SHIP...

HIS LIFE...

AND 5 TONS OF TREASURE IN A FREAK STORM.

THE WRECK SITE IS TOO DANGEROUS. IT'S BELLAMY'S CURSE.

BUT A MUMMY PULLED FROM ITS WATERY GRAVE

TELLS A DIFFERENT TALE.

A LOT OF THE LEGEND ACTUALLY BECOMES REALITY.

Man #2: RAMY. RAMY!

IT'S AN IMPOSSIBLE MISSION.

I'M ARCHAEOLOGIST AND MUMMY EXPERT RAMY ROMANY.

ACROSS THE GLOBE, EARTH IS GIVING UP HER DEAD.

OH, MY GOD, PEDRO, LOOK AT THIS.

THANKS TO CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY,

NEW MUMMIES ARE UNEARTHED EVERY DAY.

IT'S LIKE AN UNDERWATER CRIME SCENE.

THESE MUMMIES HOLD EXTRAORDINARY SECRETS...

OH, MY GOD, WHAT IS THIS?

PRICELESS.

...IF YOU KNOW HOW TO UNWRAP IT.

THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING.

THIS IS...

--Captions by VITAC-- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

OFF OF THE COAST OF CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS,

DEEP BENEATH THE FRIGID WATERS OF THE ATLANTIC

AND SURROUNDED BY TONS OF PIRATE TREASURE, A MUMMY WAS FOUND.

THE MUMMY WAS A PART OF A SHIPWRECK FROM 1717.

IT WAS RECOVERED ENCASED IN A CONCRETE-LIKE CHUNK OF SEDIMENT

BEARING THE PISTOL BELONGING TO THE CAPTAIN BLACK SAM BELLAMY.

KNOWN AS BLACK SAM BECAUSE OF HIS BLACK PONYTAIL,

HE WAS THE WEALTHIEST PIRATE IN HISTORY.

HE ATTACKED 53 SHIPS

AND PLUNDERED 4.5 TONS OF TREASURE.

IN TODAY'S DOLLARS,

HIS HAUL WOULD BE WORTH OVER $120 MILLION.

BUT BLACK SAM ALLEGEDLY MET HIS DEMISE

WHEN A VIOLENT STORM NEAR CAPE COD...

[ THUNDER CRASHING ]

...DROVE HIS SHIP, THE WHYDAH GALLY,

ONTO A SANDBAR JUST OFF SHORE.

MANY OF THE CREW PANICKED,

STUFFING THEIR POCKETS WITH COINS

AND JUMPING OVERBOARD.

HUGE WAVES SPLIT THE SHIP INTO PIECES,

SCATTERING ITS TREASURE

AND WASHING ASHORE THE MANY PIRATES WHO DROWNED.

BLACK SAM WAS NOT AMONG THEM.

WHILE SOME OF THE TREASURE WAS RECOVERED

AND AT LEAST TWO PIRATES SWAM TO SHORE AND SURVIVED,

MUCH ABOUT THIS INCIDENT REMAINS A MYSTERY.

I'VE COME TO CAPE COD TO FIND OUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED

300 YEARS AGO TO THE WHYDAH GALLY,

THE LOST TREASURE, AND CAPTAIN SAM BELLAMY.

MY FIRST STEP IS TO INVESTIGATE THE IMPRESSIVE HAUL OF ARTIFACTS

LEFT OVER FROM BLACK SAM'S NOTORIOUS WRECK.

I'M HERE AT THE WHYDAH PIRATE MUSEUM,

WHICH HAS THE ONLY CONFIRMED PIRATE TREASURE IN THE WORLD.

I'LL BE MEETING THE MAN BEHIND IT ALL, BARRY CLIFFORD,

WHO DISCOVERED THE WRECK IN 1984,

BUT HE DIDN'T END UP JUST DISCOVERING TREASURE.

HE ALSO FOUND A MUMMY.

LOOK AT THAT.

WOW!

Clifford: THAT'S THE BELL.

IT SAYS "THE WHYDAH GALLY, 1716."

IN ARCHAEOLOGY, WE FIND SOMETHING,

AND THEN WE HAVE TO PLAY A GUESSING GAME

TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO DOES IT BELONG TO

AND WHAT IT IS,

AND WE END UP WITH A THEORY. NO FACTS.

BUT LOOKING AT THIS,

IT DOESN'T GET MORE FACTUAL THAN THAT.

EVERYBODY WAS SAYING THAT WE WERE COMPLETELY CRAZY,

THAT WE WERE MAKING UP ALL OF THESE STORIES.

THEN WE FOUND THIS.

THERE WAS A LOT OF CROW EATEN ON THE CAPE THAT NIGHT.

HOW DID YOU FIND IT?

WELL, WE HAD, YOU KNOW, DUG A PIT.

IT WAS AT THE BOTTOM OF A DEEP PIT,

AND ONE OF OUR DIVERS CAME UP

AND SAID THAT HE COULD SEE THE EDGE OF THE BELL.

AND WE TOOK IT TO OUR LABORATORY,

AND A COUPLE DAYS LATER,

I GOT A CALL FROM ONE OF MY ARCHAEOLOGISTS

AND SAID, "YOU BETTER GET OVER HERE.

WE JUST FOUND A 'W' ON THE BELL."

AND WHY DID THEY THINK YOU WERE CRAZY?

BECAUSE THIS WAS A LEGEND.

THIS WAS A CAPE COD LEGEND.

WHAT YOU DID IS SO RIGHT.

YOU LISTENED TO THE LOCALS.

YOU LISTENED TO THE LEGENDS,

AND THERE'S ALWAYS TRUTH IN THERE SOMEWHERE.

THERE IS.

AND HOW MUCH TREASURE DO YOU BELIEVE

SAM BELLAMY HAD ON THE WHYDAH BEFORE IT WRECKED?

I WOULD GUESS THERE WOULD PROBABLY BE CLOSE

TO A MILLION COINS.

HOW MUCH HAVE YOU FOUND IN 30 YEARS?

PROBABLY IN THE VICINITY OF 20,000 COINS.

DO YOU THINK THERE IS NEARLY A MILLION COINS

STILL UNDER THE WATER?

THAT'S MY GUESS.

WHAT BARRY HAS DISCOVERED SO FAR

HAS BEEN VALUED AT MORE THAN $100 MILLION.

IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT WITH CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY,

THE TEAM HAS RECOVERED ONLY A FRACTION OF THE TREASURE.

4 TONS OF PIRATE TREASURE HAVE YET TO BE FOUND.

AND WHO KNOWS HOW MANY MORE MUMMIES.

THIS IS THE ONLY CONFIRMED PIRATE TREASURE IN THE WORLD.

THAT'S MIND-BLOWING.

IT'S LIKE HAVING THE ONLY TYRANNOSAURUS REX...

-EXACTLY. -...RIGHT HERE ON CAPE COD.

IT'S LIKE HAVING THE ONLY MUMMY.

THIS IS IT? THIS IS THE MUMMY?

IT IS.

IN ALL THE YEARS I'VE WORKED WITH MUMMIES,

NEVER SEEN A MUMMY INSIDE A ROCK.

THIS IS AMAZING.

THIS IS A VERY COMPLEX CONCRETION.

Romany: MOST MUMMIES ARE INTENTIONALLY PRESERVED

BY HUMAN HANDS,

BUT THIS MUMMY FORMED BY ACCIDENT.

CONCRETION HAPPENS WHEN SALT WATER CLASHES

WITH RUSTY, DEGRADING IRON, CAUSING AN ELECTRICAL REACTION.

THAT MIXTURE OF RUST, SAND, AND SEA LIFE FORM A HARD SHELL

AROUND CORRODING IRON ARTIFACTS LIKE WEAPONS AND COINS.

THE SHELL CAN ALSO FORM AROUND OTHER ARTIFACTS NEARBY

AND EVEN BODIES.

Romany: AND I SEE THE PELVIS COMING OUT OF HERE.

WHAT ELSE OF THE BODY IS INSIDE THIS CONCRETE?

YEAH, WE HAD IT X-RAYED

WITH AN INDUSTRIAL-STRENGTH X-RAY MACHINE,

BUT YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE VERTEBRA AND RIBS

AND, YOU KNOW, HUMAN SKELETON INSIDE.

HAS THIS MUMMY BEEN IDENTIFIED?

THE BONE WAS ANALYZED, AND IT WAS DETERMINED

THAT THE PERSON WAS FROM NORTH AFRICA,

EASTERN EUROPE. HMM.

WHICH IS THE REASON WHY

WE THINK THIS IS NOT BLACK SAM.

SAM BELLAMY'S PISTOL

WAS FOUND VERY CLOSE TO THIS CONCRETION.

RIGHT NEXT TO THIS MUMMY?

YES.

YET DNA SAYS THIS IS NOT BLACK SAM'S MUMMY.

SO BLACK SAM IS STILL OUT THERE SOMEWHERE.

THERE WERE 102 BODIES THAT WASHED TO SHORE

OUT OF 144 PIRATES ON THE WHYDAH.

WE DO KNOW THAT SAM BELLAMY

WAS NOT ONE OF THE 102 PIRATES

THAT WASHED TO SHORE

BECAUSE HE WOULD HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE LOCALS.

SO, THIS IS NOT THE LAST MUMMY YOU'RE GONNA FIND DOWN THERE.

THERE'S PROBABLY ANOTHER 30 MUMMIES.

GOD KNOWS WHAT'S OUT THERE TO FIND YET.

BUT IF THE MUMMY WASN'T BLACK SAM,

THEN WHY WAS HIS GUN FOUND WITH ANOTHER PIRATE?

A GUN WAS A PIRATE'S MOST PRIZED WEAPON,

AND IT'S EXTREMELY ODD THAT ANOTHER PIRATE WOULD HAVE HAD

BLACK SAM'S GUN IN HIS POSSESSION.

[ GUNSHOT ]

IS THIS THE FAMOUS SAM BELLAMY'S PISTOL?

IT IS.

AND THIS RIBBON WAS WRAPPED AROUND THE HANDLE

OF THAT PISTOL.

IT'S MADE OUT OF SILK,

AND THAT'S A ROSE PATTERN ON THE RIBBON.

AND THAT'S THE IMAGE OF KING WILLIAM III

ON THE BUTT OF THE PISTOL.

WE KNOW FROM PRIMARY SOURCE DOCUMENTS

THAT SAM BELLAMY'S GIRLFRIEND GAVE SAM BELLAMY

A RED RIBBON WITH ROSES ON IT.

THIS WAS FOUND NEXT TO THE MUMMY?

YES, ENCAPSULATED WITHIN THE TOMB OF THE LOST PIRATE.

THAT'S WHAT IT'S CALLED.

THESE ARTIFACTS GIVE SNAPSHOTS OF WHAT HAPPENED

ON THE WHYDAH THAT NIGHT,

BUT WITH SO MUCH STILL UNDERWATER,

INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF 30 MORE MUMMIES,

THERE IS STILL A LOT TO DISCOVER.

WHOA!

ARE THESE SOME OF THE CANNONS?

THAT'S SOME OF THE CANNONS.

LOOK AT THAT.

YEP.

HOW MUCH DOES ONE OF THESE WEIGH?

1,200 TO 1,500 POUNDS, I-I WOULD GUESS.

AND THESE CAME OUT OF A CONCRETE BLOCK AS WELL, RIGHT?

YEAH, THEY WERE ALL CONCRETED.

YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THESE TANKS OVER HERE

HAVE CONCRETED CANNONS IN THEM.

Romany: WOW! LOOK AT THESE CANNONS.

YOU SEE ALL THE CANNONS IN HERE?

WHY ARE YOU LEAVING THEM ALL INSIDE WATER TUBS?

TO KEEP THEM FROM DRYING OUT.

WHAT IS THIS?

GOD, IT'S HEAVY.

Clifford: THAT IS AN ANCHOR RING,

YOU KNOW, FOR THE TOP OF AN ANCHOR.

ALL THAT FROM THE WHYDAH?

YEAH.

BARRY'S ARCHAEOLOGISTS HAVE BEEN CHIPPING AWAY AT CONCRETIONS

FOR DECADES TO EXTRACT MORE TREASURE.

IT IS A SLOW PROCESS,

BUT SO MUCH OF THE TREASURE IS HIDDEN IN CONCRETIONS.

THIS IS A CONCRETION THAT WAS BROUGHT UP A FEW YEARS AGO.

AND WE'VE JUST X-RAYED IT, AND WE KNOW THERE'S QUITE

A BIT OF GOLD DUST

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS PLATE.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY GOLD DUST?

WELL, GOLD DUST WAS A TYPE OF CURRENCY

BACK 300 YEARS AGO,

ESPECIALLY DURING THE SLAVE TRADE.

CAN I START CHIPPING AWAY

BECAUSE I CAN'T HELP MYSELF

WANTING TO FIND WHAT'S UNDERNEATH THIS PLATE?

CAN I?I-I-I-I UNDERSTAND YOUR...

ENTHUSIASM.

...ENTHUSIASM TO GET THROUGH IT.

YOU GOT TO PUT SOME GLOVES ON FIRST.

OKAY.

THESE ROCKS ALL LOOK SILVERY,

AND YOU'D THINK THERE'S GOLD EVERYWHERE HERE.

ALL THE DEBRIS THAT COMES OFF, WE X-RAY.

WE COLLECT IT IN THESE BINS OVER HERE, SO --

SO ANY FRAGMENTS THAT COME OFF, JUST TOSS THEM OVER THERE.

WE'LL X-RAY THEM, MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE TINY FRAGMENTS

OF GOLD THAT COULD BE IN THAT HANDFUL.

SO, YOU'RE SAYING ANY OF THIS DUST

CAN HAVE GOLD DUST INSIDE OF IT? -MM-HMM.

THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO SAVE EVERYTHING.

YOU CAN TELL WHEN YOU'RE GETTING CLOSE

TO A CERTAIN TYPE OF MATERIAL.

IRON GIVES OFF A VERY STRONG ODOR BEING UNDER THE OCEAN.

YEAH, I CAN SMELL IT NOW. IT'S VERY STRONG.

MM-HMM.

HEY, YOU FOUND SOMETHING OVER THERE.

WOW!

THAT'S ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.

THAT WAS NOT THERE BEFORE.

♪♪

Kesten Zahn: YOU FOUND SOMETHING OVER THERE.

THAT WAS NOT THERE BEFORE.

Romany: WHOA! IS THAT...

IS THIS A PIECE OF GOLD RIGHT HERE?

Macort: YEAH.

Romany: I'M IN CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS,

WORKING WITH ARCHAEOLOGISTS WHO INVESTIGATE THE REMAINS

OF A SHIP THAT BELONGED TO THE WEALTHIEST PIRATE

OF ALL TIME -- BLACK SAM BELLAMY.

A MUMMY WAS PART OF THE LOOT, SPARKING QUESTIONS

ABOUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED WHEN THE SHIP WENT DOWN.

THAT'S ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.

YEAH. HERE, YOU CAN HOLD IT --

PUT IT IN MY HAND, YOU'LL SEE --

NO, I FOUND THIS. OKAY, OKAY.

WELL, WE'RE GOING TO RUN YOU

THROUGH A METAL DETECTOR ON THE WAY OUT.

SEE, ONCE YOU CATCH THE PIRATE FEVER, THAT'S IT.

YOU'RE AFTER THE GOLD.

I SEE. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS.

Romany: SEEING THE REMAINS OF THIS WRECK HAS MADE ME

EVEN MORE CERTAIN THAT THERE'S MORE TO THIS MYSTERY

THAN MEETS THE EYE.

EVERY ONE OF THESE PIRATES

COULD HAVE STUFFED HIS POCKETS WITH THESE COINS

AND MAYBE MAKE IT TO SHORE AND BEEN SET FOR LIFE.

I'M HEADED OUT TO DIVE THE FRIGID WATERS OF THE ATLANTIC

JUST SO I CAN SEE THE WRECK FOR MYSELF.

RIGHT NOW THE AIR TEMPERATURE IS 39 DEGREES,

AND THE CURRENT WATER TEMPERATURE

IS A FROSTY 46 DEGREES.

WE TYPICALLY DO NOT DIVE THIS LATE.

THIS IS DEFINITELY THE LAST --

LAST TRIP FOR THE SEASON.

CHRIS, THE ARCHAEOLOGIST WHO'S BEEN DIVING THIS SITE WITH BARRY

SINCE THEY FOUND IT IS GOING TO DIVE WITH ME.

AND JEFF, THE BOAT CAPTAIN, IS AS FAMILIAR WITH THESE WATERS

AS ANY PIRATE WOULD HAVE BEEN.

THE WRECK SITE IS DIFFICULT TO GET TO

WITH THE SHIFTING SANDS.

THE COAST GUARD DOESN'T EVEN RECOGNIZE THIS INLET

BECAUSE IT'S TOO DANGEROUS,

AND I ALWAYS SAY IT'S BELLAMY'S CURSE

AND THE -- AND THE -- AND THE -- AND THE PIRATES.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE CURSE?

I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER EXPLANATION

OF WHY IT'S SO HARD TO GO OUT HERE.

Macort: WHERE WE'RE GOING TODAY

IS WHERE WE LEFT OFF DURING OUR LAST DIVE.

BUT THIS IS THE SPOT THAT BARRY THINKS THE MOTHER LODE IS IN?

WE'RE IN THAT AREA, YEP. EXACTLY.

THE 90% LEFT IS IN THIS SPOT?

YEAH, AT LEAST. YEAH.

THAT'S WHAT BARRY THINKS?YEP.

THAT'S HOW CLOSE WE ARE?

YEAH.IT'S JUST MIND-BOGGLING.

YEAH, I KNOW.

PEOPLE WOULD HAVE BEEN STANDING RIGHT THERE

WATCHING THE WHYDAH... -YEAH.

...WRECKING.

COME TO PIECES, EXACTLY. YEP.

AND WE USED TO SWIM TO THE BEACH BACK AND FORTH

UNTIL ALL THE SHARKS STARTED COMING UP HERE,

NOW WE DON'T DO THAT ANYMORE AT ALL.

HONESTLY, RIGHT NOW THE FEAR OF THE SHARKS FADES

IN COMPARISON TO THE FRIGID COLD.

HYPOTHERMIA SETS IN 25 TIMES FASTER IN WATER

THAN IT DOES IN AIR.

IN WATER THIS COLD, IT CAN HAPPEN IN JUST 15 MINUTES.

TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO BLACK SAM

AND 40 MISSING PIRATES,

I'M GOING TO HAVE TO BRAVE THIS FREEZING-COLD WATER

AND THE POSSIBILITY OF SHARKS ON THE LAST DIVE OF THE SEASON.

IF YOU GO LIKE THIS TO ME UNDERWATER,

THAT MEANS WE'RE GOING TO COME UP.

AND IF I SEE YOU SHAKING LIKE THIS,

WHETHER YOU WANT TO COME UP OR NOT,

WE'RE GOING TO GO UP. OKAY?

INSTEAD OF LOOKING FOR TREASURE,

I'M GOING TO LOOK FOR ANY REMNANTS OF BODIES

IN THE CONCRETIONS BELOW.

Spiegel: NOW WE GO DIVE.

YOU READY? -LET'S DO IT.

OKAY. WE'RE LOSING TIME.

LET'S GO HERE. THERE YOU GO.

Macort: ALL RIGHT, READY TO DESCEND?

Romany: YES, I'M READY.

LET'S GO.

♪♪

THE CURRENT IS STRONG.

I CAN BARELY SEE ANYTHING.

HERE. OVER HERE.

CHECK THIS OUT.

THAT'S A CONCRETION?

YES.

THAT'S MASSIVE.

LET ME SEE IF I CAN SPOT ANY BONES HERE.

THIS IS PROBABLY A CANNON.

THERE ARE OTHER ARTIFACTS AROUND HERE, TOO,

BUT THERE'S NO WAY TO TELL WHAT ELSE IS IN HERE

UNTIL WE GET IT TO THE SURFACE.

Romany: CONCRETIONS WEIGH THOUSANDS OF POUNDS,

AND GETTING THEM TO THE SURFACE IS NOT AN EASY TASK.

SEVEN ANCHORS STABILIZE THE BOAT

SO IT DOESN'T TIP UNDER THE WEIGHT OF ITS LOOT.

DIVERS THEN DIG OUT AN AREA AROUND A CONCRETION

AND WRAP IT IN CHAINS SO A CRANE ON THE BOAT CAN HAUL IT UP.

♪♪

IT'S TOO COLD DOWN HERE. YOU'RE SHAKING.

RAMY?

IT IS SO COLD AND I'M LOSING FEELING IN MY EXTREMITIES

AND IT'S GETTING HARD TO TALK.

THESE ARE THE SIGNS OF THE FIRST STAGES OF HYPOTHERMIA.

[ SHUDDERING ]

YOU ALL RIGHT?

LOOKING FOR CONCRETES,

EVERYTHING IS NOT JUST 50 FEET DOWN.

IT'S ALSO UNDER THE SAND.

YOU HAVE TO EXCAVATE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN.

THE VISIBILITY IS REALLY POOR DOWN THERE.

I COULD BARELY SEE ANYTHING.

IT'S AN IMPOSSIBLE MISSION.

THE CONCRETIONS ARE MASSIVE,

AND ANYTHING COULD BE INSIDE EACH ONE OF THEM.

THERE MAY BE MORE MUMMIES,

BUT IT COULD TAKE MONTHS OR EVEN YEARS TO UNCOVER THEM.

♪♪

FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN SO FAR,

THERE'S A LOT MORE THAN A SIMPLE STORY OF PIRATES

WHO WENT DOWN WITH THEIR SHIP.

LOOKING AT BOTH OF YOU

AND SEEING YOU FREEZING YOUR ASSES OFF

MADE ME FEEL SO MUCH BETTER ABOUT MYSELF.

OH, THAT'S AWESOME. YEAH, I KNOW.

WELCOME TO NEW ENGLAND.

140 PEOPLE WERE REGISTERED ON THAT BOAT.

THERE WERE 140 PIRATES ON THAT BO--

142. 142 PIRATES --

PIRATES AND CAPTIVES, PRISONERS, YEAH.

ON THAT BOAT BEFORE IT WRECKED?

YES.

HOW MANY WASHED ASHORE?102.

SO, THERE ARE 40 MISSING PIRATES?

THAT'S RIGHT.

WHAT I'VE SEEN DOWN THERE TODAY IS ABSOLUTELY MIND-BOGGLING,

BUT I HAVE TO SAY, TO ME,

I CAN'T SEE HOW YOU CAN STILL FIND 40 MUMMIES DOWN THERE.

I-I-I UNDERSTAND. I MEAN, I GET THAT.

WHERE ARE THEY?

I-I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.

ARE THEY REALLY UNDER THERE?

DID THEY ACTUALLY MANAGE TO ESCAPE?

WE KNOW FOR A FACT THAT TWO PIRATES HAVE SURVIVED,

WHICH MAKES SURVIVAL FROM THE WHYDAH A POSSIBILITY.

YEAH.

RECORDS SHOW THAT TWO LONE SURVIVORS,

THOM DAVIS AND JOHN JULIAN, MADE THE SWIM TO SHORE,

THEN WERE CAPTURED BY OFFICIALS

WHO TOOK THEM TO BOSTON TO STAND TRIAL.

SURVIVAL FROM THE WHYDAH WRECK IS PLAUSIBLE,

AND SAM BELLAMY'S BODY WAS NEVER RECOVERED.

HE MAY HAVE ESCAPED, BUT THEN WHY WAS HIS PISTOL

FOUND STRAPPED TO THE MUMMY?

COULD HE HAVE PLANTED IT ON SOMEONE ELSE TO HELP GET AWAY?

THE RIBBON ON THE PISTOL WAS MADE BY HIS GIRLFRIEND,

MARIA HALLETT.

THE WHYDAH SANK ON THE SHORES OF HER TOWN.

NOW, HOW DOES SHE FIT INTO THIS MYSTERY?

I'M MEETING WITH HISTORIAN KATHLEEN BRUNELLE,

WHO SPENT OVER A DECADE RESEARCHING MARIA HALLETT

AND HER TIES TO BLACK SAM.

THIS IS THE JAIL WHERE SAM BELLAMY'S LOVER,

MARIA HALLETT, WAS JAILED AT ONE POINT FOR WITCHCRAFT.

-WOW! -YEAH.

PIRATES, TREASURE, MUMMIES, AND NOW A WITCH.

THE MYSTERY GETS MORE AND MORE INTRIGUING,

AND IF BLACK SAM SURVIVED THE WRECK,

IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT HE WOULD HAVE CONTACTED HIS GIRLFRIEND.

Romany: THE OLDEST WOODEN JAIL IN AMERICA.

YES. AND BACK IN THE 1700s,

THIS IS WHERE THEY WOULD HAVE KEPT WITCHES.

IT'S INTRIGUING THAT BLACK SAM AND HIS GIRLFRIEND

BOTH ENDED UP ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE LAW,

BUT WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS ANY EVIDENCE

THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH

AFTER HE BECAME A PIRATE.

THAT'S A TINY CELL.

WHAT A CREEPY PLACE.

DO YOU SEE THIS ETCHING RIGHT THERE?

YES.

IS THIS A SHIP?

Romany: I'M IN CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS,

WHERE THE WRECKAGE

OF BLACK SAM BELLAMY'S PIRATE SHIP WAS RECOVERED...

ALONG WITH SOMETHING QUITE UNEXPECTED --

A MUMMY.

THE MUMMY HAD A PISTOL STRAPPED TO ITS LEG BY A RIBBON,

A RIBBON THAT WAS MADE

BY BLACK SAM'S GIRLFRIEND, MARIA HALLETT.

Brunelle: THIS IS THE JAIL

WHERE MARIA HALLETT WAS JAILED

AT ONE POINT FOR WITCHCRAFT.

DO YOU SEE THIS ETCHING RIGHT THERE?

YES.

IS THIS A SHIP?

THIS SHIP CARVED RIGHT BESIDE MARIA'S CELL RAISES QUESTIONS.

DID MARIA CARVE THIS HERSELF AS A BEACON OF HOPE

THAT HER BELOVED SAM MIGHT RETURN,

OR WAS THERE SOMETHING ELSE MORE SINISTER GOING ON?

SAM BELLAMY WAS A BRITISH MERCHANT MARINE

WHO MET MARIA AND FELL INSTANTLY IN LOVE.

BECAUSE BELLAMY WAS POOR,

MARIA'S PARENTS WOULDN'T LET THE COUPLE GET MARRIED.

SO BELLAMY SET SAIL TO MAKE A FORTUNE

BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY

AND BECAME A PIRATE.

SOON AFTER HE LEFT,

MARIA DISCOVERED SHE WAS PREGNANT WITH HIS CHILD.

FEARING WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF ANYONE FOUND OUT,

SHE KEPT THE BABY HIDDEN IN A BARN.

AND ONE DAY, WHEN MARIA WAS OUT GATHERING FOOD,

HER BABY CHOKED ON STRAW AND DIED.

THE LOCALS BELIEVED SHE MURDERED HER OWN CHILD,

AND SHE WAS ACCUSED OF WITCHCRAFT AND JAILED.

A WITCH AND A PIRATE.

MARIA IS THE REASON THIS WHOLE THING HAPPENED?

YEP.

ACCORDING TO EVERY STORY, HE WANTS TO MAKE HIS FORTUNE

SO THAT HE CAN COME BACK AND MARRY HER.

DID MARIA DIE IN PRISON?

SHE ESCAPED THREE DIFFERENT TIMES.

AND THEY DIDN'T BRING HER BACK IN?

NO.

WHERE DID SHE END UP GOING THEN?

THERE ARE STORIES THAT SHE ENDED UP WITH THE TREASURE.

THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING.

THAT EVEN IF HE DIDN'T MAKE IT OFF THE SHIP

THAT ANYONE WHO DID

WOULD'VE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO BRING TREASURE TO MARIA.

AND WHAT DID SHE DO AFTER SHE GOT OUT OF PRISON?

SHE JUST WENT OFF TO THE DUNES

AND WAITED FOR BELLAMY TO RETURN.

WHERE EXACTLY WAS THAT SPOT?

IT WAS RIGHT NEAR WHERE THE WHYDAH EVENTUALLY WRECKED

IN WELLFLEET NEAR MARCONI BEACH.

SO, SHE WAS RIGHT THERE?

SHE LIKELY SAW EVERYTHING.

WOW!

BLACK SAM'S PISTOL HAS LED ME TO THE SHORES OF MARCONI BEACH

TO SEE WHERE MARIA HALLETT LIVED AND WHERE THE WHYDAH WASHED UP.

THERE'S INTRIGUING FIRST-HAND EVIDENCE IN THE 1724 BOOK

"THE GENERAL HISTORY OF PIRATES,"

WHICH IS CONSIDERED A DEFINITIVE PRIMARY SOURCE

ON THE GOLDEN AGE OF PIRACY.

THAT ON THE DAY OF THE WRECK,

SAM BELLAMY TRAVELED NORTH UP THE COAST

WITH THREE OTHER SHIPS.

IN THE TWO MONTHS PRIOR, HE AMASSED MORE WEALTH

THAN ANY OTHER PIRATE IN HISTORY.

HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO MAINE,

WHERE HE OFTEN WENT TO SERVICE HIS SHIP.

BY SUNSET, THERE WAS A DEAD CALM BEFORE A DENSE FOG ROLLED IN,

SEPARATING THE FOUR SHIPS AT ABOUT MIDNIGHT.

A CANADIAN COLD FRONT COLLIDED WITH A CARIBBEAN HEAT WAVE

DIRECTLY OVER THE CAPE.

A 75-MILE-PER-HOUR WIND AND WAVES UP TO 40-FEET TALL

HURLED THE WHYDAH INTO A SANDBAR.

BUT THE QUESTION IS COULD BLACK SAM HAVE SURVIVED?

KATHLEEN AND I ARE MEETING

WITH COASTAL HISTORIAN WILLIAM BURKE,

WHO'S BEEN RESEARCHING BLACK SAM

AND THE WHYDAH WRECK FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS.

Burke: YOU KNOW, YOU HAD 70-MILE-PER-HOUR WINDS

AND THE WAVES WERE BREAKING ON THE BEACH

AND THE PLACE WAS CHAOS --

WRECKAGE, BODIES, TREASURE.

I WAS DIVING THE WRECK SITE YESTERDAY.

WHERE'S -- IS IT ABOUT THERE?

JUST A LITTLE FURTHER UP, YES.

THE WRECK WAS ONLY 500 FEET FROM SHORE.

SO, PEOPLE ON SHORE WOULD HAVE SEEN THE WRECK HAPPEN.

AND MARIA WOULD HAVE BEEN AT THE TOP OF THE BLUFF

AND LOOKING OUT ON THE SCENE.

WOW!

THIS WOULD BE A LIKELY SPOT PERHAPS

FOR MARIA HALLETT'S HUT.

HOW LONG DID BELLAMY LEAVE HER FOR?

HE WAS GONE FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF.

IS THERE ANY RECORD OF THEM PLANNING

THAT WHEN HE COMES BACK, THEY GOT TO DO SOMETHING?

HIS PARTNER WENT UP TO MAINE,

BUT BELLAMY WANTED TO COME BACK TO THE CAPE

BECAUSE HE WAS COMING BACK FOR MARIA.

AND WHY MAINE?

BECAUSE THEY WOULD USUALLY GO UP THERE

TO CLEAN THE SHIPS.

SO, PERHAPS BLACK SAM WAS ON HIS WAY TO MEET HIS GIRLFRIEND

AND THEN TAKE HER TO MAINE.

DO SHIPS COME THIS WAY, GENERALLY?

THERE ARE NO SAFE HARBORS AS WE FACE HERE FACING EAST.

SHIPS WILL ALWAYS BE GOING BY HERE

AND NEED ANOTHER 30 OR 40 MILES

TO GET AROUND THE FIST OF THE CAPE FOR SAFE HARBOR.

SO THIS WAS JUST MERELY A HIGHWAY OUT HERE.

SO, IT'S UNCLEAR WHY A SKILLED CAPTAIN

WOULD BE COMING THIS WAY IN THE FIRST PLACE.

YES.

IT DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT.

I HAVE A THEORY.

OKAY.

THE WRECK HAPPENED VERY CLOSE TO SHORE,

SO CLOSE THAT THE DIVERS EXCAVATING

THE WHYDAH CAN SWIM IT.

RIGHT.

I ACTUALLY THINK HE HAD JUST STOLEN ALL OF THIS TREASURE

AND THE AUTHORITIES KNEW IT.

IF SAM BELLAMY ACTUALLY ARRANGED THIS --

FAKED HIS OWN DEATH --

AND THAT'S WHY HE WOULD HAVE PLANTED HIS PISTOL

ON ANOTHER PIRATE.

WHAT IF SAM BELLAMY SURVIVED?

I CAN SEE THAT, AND THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE A GREAT ENDING.

WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THE REST OF HIS FLEET WENT UP TO MAINE.

JUST UP THE COAST.

JUST UP THE COAST.

MAYBE HE WENT THERE, TOO.

I'M HEADED TO THE OUTER REACHES OF COASTAL MAINE

TO JUST TRY AND FIGURE OUT

IF SAM BELLAMY COULD HAVE ESCAPED HERE WITH HIS TREASURE.

THE REST OF BLACK SAM'S CREW WAS HEADED TO MAINE,

AND ACCORDING TO THE BOOK

"THE GENERAL HISTORY OF PIRATES,"

HE CAME UP HERE TO DO MAINTENANCE ON HIS SHIP.

HE WAS SPOTTED HERE AROUND THE TIME OF THE WRECK.

-WHOA! -YEP.

EVENTUALLY, THIS IS GOING TO GO TO THE WATER.

MY FIRST CONTACT IS MARCUS LIBRIZZI,

A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE

AND AN EXPERT ON LOCAL HISTORY AND LEGEND.

IT LOOKS REALLY DIFFERENT WITH ALL THE SNOW.

HE ASKED ME TO MEET HIM IN THE WOODS,

AND HE ALSO ASKED ME NOT TO REVEAL THE LOCATION.

HERE YOU GO. THIS SHOULD PROTECT YOU.

SO, PEOPLE ARE OUT HERE HUNTING,

SO WE GOT TO BE REALLY PARTICULARLY CAREFUL.

LET'S GO. OKAY, LET'S DO IT.

MARCUS TOLD ME HE HAS SOMETHING TO SHOW ME

THAT PROVES BLACK SAM WAS RIGHT HERE.

GOT TO SAY THIS ORANGE THING

IS NOT MY STYLE AT ALL, MARCUS.

I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT WE'RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE.

IT'S NOT TOO MUCH FARTHER.

THIS LOOKS LIKE IT.

YOU CAN SEE IT'S THE BIGGEST ROCK AROUND HERE,

A BIG, GLACIAL ERRATIC.

CAREFUL, THIS ROCK'S GOING TO BE SUPER SLIPPERY.

♪♪

Librizzi: EVEN ONCE YOU CLEAR IT,

IT'S GOING TO BE SUBTLE.

WAIT A MINUTE. WOW!

LOOK AT THIS.

THIS LOOKS LIKE A PIRATE SHIP.

Librizzi: EVEN ONCE YOU CLEAR IT,

IT'S GOING TO BE SUBTLE.

THESE ARE REALLY OLD IMAGES.

Romany: I'M SEARCHING FOR EVIDENCE THAT BLACK SAM BELLAMY

SURVIVED THE WRECK OF HIS PIRATE SHIP AND ESCAPED.

THE DISCOVERY OF A MUMMY WITH THE WRECK

HAS LED ME TO THE WOODS OF MAINE.

WAIT A MINUTE.

WOW! LOOK AT THIS.

ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE ONE MAST HERE,

WE HAVE ANOTHER MAST HERE, A SHIP --

IS THIS A FLAG ON TOP OF THE SHIP?

EXACTLY.

THIS LOOKS LIKE A PIRATE SHIP.

WHOEVER DID THIS EITHER OBSERVED IT

OR WAS ON THE SHIP.

ALL THESE IMAGES, NO MATTER WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED,

ARE THE PROPERTY OF THE DESCENDANT PEOPLES,

THE PASSAMAQUODDY, OF THE AREA.

THIS HAS BEEN INCISED WITH METAL TOOLS.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE METAL TILL THEY MET THE EUROPEANS,

WHICH MEANS IT CAME AFTER TRADE.

THAT WOULD GIVE IT THE SAME TIMING,

THE SAME DATING

AS SAM BELLAMY'S SHIP ARRIVING IN MACHIAS.

IT CERTAINLY POINTS IN THAT DIRECTION, DOESN'T IT?

THE NATIVE AMERICANS MUST HAVE CARVED THIS PETROGLYPH,

BUT WITH HUNDREDS OF INLETS AND ISLANDS,

MAINE HAS OVER 5,000 MILES OF COASTLINE.

SO MY NEXT QUESTION IS, WHERE DID THEY SEE IT?

I HAVE A THEORY THAT I WANT TO RUN BY MARCUS.

THERE WAS A MUMMY THAT WAS FOUND

IN THE WHYDAH WRECK.

THAT MUMMY HAS PROVEN TO BE

NOT SAM BELLAMY'S MUMMY.

DO YOU THINK THERE IS ANY CHANCE

THAT SAM BELLAMY SURVIVED THE WRECK?

I ALMOST COULD ENTERTAIN THE POSSIBILITY

THAT HE DID SLIP AWAY.

MARCUS, HELP ME PAINT A PICTURE

OF WHAT MACHIAS LOOKED LIKE 300 YEARS AGO.

SO, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 5,000 MILES OF COASTLINE

WITH LOTS OF INLETS AND --

AND TRIBUTARIES AND PLACES LIKE THAT,

SO A GREAT PLACE FOR PIRATES.

BUT THERE'S ALL -- THERE'S ALL THESE OTHER COASTS

THAT ALSO ARE SIMILAR.

OH, YEAH. SO, LET'S TAKE A LOOK

AT, LIKE, THE HISTORICAL ANGLE OF THE WHOLE THING.

BETWEEN THE ENGLISH COLONIES AND THE FRENCH COLONIES,

YOU HAD A WALL OF ANIMOSITY.

SO THIS WHOLE AREA WAS PRETTY MUCH LIKE

A DMZ OR DEMILITARIZED ZONE

BETWEEN THE ENGLISH AND THE FRENCH.

SINCE IT WAS BETWEEN THESE WARRING POWERS,

A LOT OF EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT HAD NOT TAKEN PLACE HERE.

IT WOULD'VE BEEN A PERFECT PLACE FOR A HIDEAWAY.

BEFORE THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION,

PIRATES WERE SOME OF THE FIRST REBELS

TO RISE UP AGAINST THE BRITISH COLONY.

BELLAMY HIMSELF MADE IT HIS MISSION TO ROB FROM THE RICH

AND GIVE TO THE POOR

AND TO AVOID THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES AT ALL COSTS.

I WONDER IF THE TREASURE THAT IS BEING DISCOVERED TODAY

UNDER THE WRECK OF THE WHYDAH

IS ALL SAM BELLAMY'S TREASURE OR JUST SOME OF IT.

WOULD YOU PUT ALL OF YOUR EGGS IN THAT ONE BASKET?

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF STORIES AND LEGENDS ABOUT BELLAMY

BEING HERE AND BURYING TREASURE ON THE MACHIAS RIVER.

IT WAS CUSTOMARY FOR PEOPLE TO BE OUT THERE SEARCHING

FOR TREASURE EVEN BEFORE THERE WERE METAL DETECTORS.

THAT WAS JUST PART OF THE --

THE FOLKLORE, THE LORE OF THE REGION.

HERE IN MACHIAS?

EXACTLY, ON THE MACHIAS RIVER.

WHERE THOSE EARLY ACCOUNTS SAY HE WAS,

THE GEOGRAPHY LINES UP.

AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEED TO SEE.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS STORY REMINDS ME OF?

WHAT?

THIS REMINDS ME OF CAPE COD EVERY DAY BEFORE 1984

WHERE THERE ARE STORIES AND LEGENDS OF THE WHYDAH,

BUT NO ONE EVER FOUND IT

AND NO ONE BELIEVED IT EXISTED THERE

TILL BARRY CAME AND FOUND THE WHYDAH RIGHT THERE.

EXACTLY.

WHERE THERE'S THAT MUCH SMOKE, THERE MUST BE SOME FIRE.

IF THERE'S ANYTHING I'VE LEARNED FROM BARRY'S FIND,

IT'S THAT THE LOCALS HOLD THE KEY TO THIS MYSTERY.

CHRIS SPRAGUE HAS LIVED IN MACHIAS HIS ENTIRE LIFE.

HE'S BEEN SYSTEMATICALLY SEARCHING A LOCATION

CALLED POT HEAD,

AND HE BELIEVES HE'S NARROWING IN ON A DISCOVERY.

THIS IS THE EIGHTH TIME

I'VE EVER SEEN SNOW IN MY LIFE.

COME BACK TOMORROW.

WE'LL HAVE SOME MORE FOR YOU.

THIS LOCATION IS 2 1/2 MILES AWAY FROM MACHIAS BAY,

IN THE AREA WHERE BELLAMY WAS LAST SEEN.

Romany: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN LOOKING

FOR THIS TREASURE, CHRIS?

Sprague: MY FATHER'S THE ONE

THAT GOT ME INTERESTED IN THE STORIES.

MY OWN PERSONAL FEELING IS I DON'T THINK BELLAMY

TOOK THE TIME TO REALLY BURY A TREASURE.

I THINK IT WAS MORE OF A QUICK HIDE.

I THINK HIS PLAN WAS TO EITHER

PUT IT RIGHT BACK ON THE SHIP

AFTER HE CAREENED HIS HULL,

BUT I THINK WHILE HE WAS HERE HE CAME UP WITH THE IDEA,

"HUH, WE COULD TURN THIS INTO A PIRATE HAVEN.

I'VE ALREADY GOT IT STASHED.

WE'LL COME BACK."

YOU TAKE HIS FIRES CAREENING THE SHIP.

YEAH, HE COULD HAVE CAREENED THE SHIP

AND JUST PILED THE TREASURE UP ON THE SHORE.

IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE TO HIDE IT.

CAREENING A SHIP IS A PROCESS OF TURNING IT ON ITS SIDE

TO CLEAN AND REPAIR ITS HULL.

TO MOVE SUCH A MASSIVE SHIP,

THE CREW HAD TO EMPTY ITS CONTENTS ONTO THE SHORE,

LEAVING THEM COMPLETELY EXPOSED.

THAT'S WHY IT WAS COMMON FOR PIRATES TO BUILD CRUDE FORTS

AND MOUNT THEIR GUNS DURING A CAREEN.

♪♪

NOW, PICTURE YOURSELF DOING THIS

WITH A BAG OF GOLD ON YOUR SHOULDERS.

IF YOU GET HURT, I'LL SHOW YOU HOW I USE MY UNDERWEAR

TO MAKE A TOURNIQUET.

WE'RE SEARCHING UP HERE BECAUSE CHRIS BELIEVES

THAT THIS IS THE PERFECT VANTAGE POINT FOR BELLAMY

TO PROTECT HIS SHIP AND BUILD HIS FORT.

THAT'S TURNING ON. THAT'S JUST POWER ON.

[ METAL DETECTOR BEEPING ]

IF YOU LOOK AT THIS SIDE OF THE CLIFF,

I'LL LOOK ON THE OTHER SIDE.

OKAY.

IF YOU GET ANY HITS, DON'T DIG.

LET ME KNOW FIRST.

ALL RIGHTY.

CHRIS IS HOPING TO FIND THE TREASURE

HE'S BEEN LOOKING FOR HIS ENTIRE LIFE.

I'M HOPING FOR ANY SIGN OF BELLAMY'S FORT.

THERE IS NOTHING SO FAR.

I GET SOME TYPE OF TONE OR RING,

BUT THERE'S NO IRON OR METAL IN THIS LAND AT ALL,

WHICH MEANS IT'S GOING TO MAKE IT

QUITE OBVIOUS WHEN WE FIND SOMETHING.

[ STEADY BEEPING ]

CHRIS!

-YEAH? -CHRIS!

-YEAH? -I GOT SOMETHING.

Romany: I'M AT ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S OLDEST GRAVEYARDS.

THE ENTIRE HALLETT FAMILY IS BURIED HERE,

INCLUDING THE GIRLFRIEND OF THE WEALTHIEST PIRATE OF ALL TIME,

BLACK SAM BELLAMY.

WHICH PART OF THE CEMETERY DID THE HALLETTS

BURY THEIR... THEIR FAMILY?

WE'RE STANDING IN THE MIDDLE

OF A LOT OF HALLETTS.OH, GREAT.

THERE ARE SOME GRAVES HERE THAT DATE BACK ALL THE WAY TO 1689.

ANDREW HALLETT.

I GOT AN ANDREW HALLETT.

IT SAYS, "IN THE MEMORY OF ANDREW HALLETT,

APRIL 26, 1751."

WHEN DID SHE DIE?

AND THAT'S HER BROTHER.

SHE DIED IN 1751.

HE HELPED WITH HER WILL.

HE WAS THE EXECUTOR, AND HE DIED JUST DAYS LATER?

YES. THAT'S QUITE CREEPY.

YEAH. YEAH.

[ LIGHTNING CRASHES ]

-CHRIS! -YEAH?

-I GOT SOMETHING. -REALLY?

Romany: HIGH ON THE BANKS OF THE MAINE COASTLINE,

I'M WITH CHRIS SPRAGUE WHO'S BEEN SEARCHING HIS ENTIRE LIFE

FOR THE TREASURE OF THE WEALTHIEST PIRATE

IN HISTORY -- SAM BELLAMY.

[ STEADY BEEPING ]

RIGHT HERE.

IT'S HARD TO DIG WHEN IT'S FROZEN.

♪♪

Sprague: WE GOT IT.

YOU GOT IT? YEP.

YOU GOT IT? YEP.

LOOKS LIKE A 12 GAUGE.

THAT'S A SHOTGUN SHELL.

IT'S AN OLD ONE. THERE YOU GO.

WELL, THAT'S MY TREASURE FOR YOU FOR TODAY.

A LITTLE PIECE OF BRASS.

THIS SHELL ISN'T MORE THAN 100 YEARS OLD,

SO IT CAN'T BE BELLAMY'S.

IT'S STILL HERE SOMEWHERE.

ABSOLUTELY.

JUST WHERE?

IN MY EXPERIENCE, A GOOD LOCATION IS A GOOD LOCATION.

NEWER STRUCTURES ARE OFTEN BUILT ON TOP OF OLDER STRUCTURES.

ARE THERE ANY FORTS AROUND HERE

WHOSE LOCATION WOULD'VE BEEN SUITABLE?

FORT O'BRIEN LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF EARTHWORKS

AS FAR AS DIRT.

EARTHWORKS ARE STRUCTURES MADE OF MUD, ROCKS,

AND OTHER NATURAL MATERIALS.

THEY ARE THE FOUNDATION OF ANY DEFENSIVE FORT,

AND IF SAM BELLAMY BUILT HIS RIGHT...

LET'S DO IT.

...IT'S LIKELY THAT OTHERS BUILT OVER IT.

♪♪

MACHIAS BAY'S UNPREDICTABLE WEATHER HAS SNUCK UP ON US.

WHAT'S UP WITH THIS MAINE WEATHER, MAN?

A HEAVY SNOWSTORM HAS HIT,

AND I REALIZE THAT I'M MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE

WITH SANDSTORMS INSTEAD.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?

BEFORE WE EXPLORE FORT O'BRIEN,

I WANT TO SEE IF IT'S EVEN POSSIBLE

THAT THE MASSIVE 100-FOOT-LONG

300-TON WHYDAH COULD HAVE DOCKED THERE.

BECAUSE OF ITS NARROW OPENING AND COMPLEX SYSTEM OF COVES,

MACHIAS BAY HAS FAST-MOVING, DANGEROUS DIVES.

RIGHT HERE.

WHAT WE NEED TO CHECK OUT IS HOW DEEP THE WATER IS

RIGHT NEXT TO THE SHORE.

I BROUGHT AN UNDERWATER DRONE TO SEE

IF THIS AREA OF THE BAY IS MORE THAN 20 FEET DEEP.

THAT'S THE DEPTH NEEDED

FOR THE WHYDAH GALLY TO HAVE SAILED IN.

THERE IT IS.

10 FEET.

12 FEET.

25 FEET DEEP.

THERE ARE MUD FLATS AND TIDAL ZONES

ALL AROUND HERE, BUT RIGHT AT THIS SPOT --

25 FEET DEEP.

LET'S GO, CAPTAIN.

OUR NEXT STOP IS FORT O'BRIEN ITSELF.

IN MY EXPERIENCE, A SITE LIKE A FORT

ALWAYS HAS LAYERS OF HISTORY HIDDEN UNDERNEATH.

I'M HOPING THAT THIS FORT'S HISTORY

INCLUDES SAM BELLAMY'S.

THESE EARTHWORKS ARE MAN-MADE.

THE QUESTION IS, WHO MADE THEM FIRST?

ALL THAT WE SEE LEFT FROM THIS FORT RIGHT HERE

WAS ACTUALLY BUILT IN THE CIVIL WAR, CORRECT?

Sprague: CORRECT.

BUT THIS LOCATION WOULD HAVE HAD ANOTHER FORT

FOR THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, RIGHT?

RIGHT.

THAT WAS BUILT HERE BEFORE THEN.

WHY THIS SPOT?

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.

THE OCEAN GIVES YOU THIS LITTLE BIT OF A SECLUDED COVE

EVEN THOUGH IT'S FAIRLY LARGE.

THIS IS DEFINITELY GOING TO TAKE AWAY

SOME OF THAT OPEN OCEAN WAVE ACTION

THAT YOU WOULD HAVE.

SO IT GAVE IT SECLUSION, PROTECTION.

THE MORE YOU SAY HOW STRATEGIC THIS LOCATION IS,

THE MORE IT MAKES ME THINK IF THERE'S A FORT

HERE THAT DATES BACK TO THE CIVIL WAR,

AND THEN THERE WAS A FORT

HERE THAT DATES BACK TO THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR,

MAKES ME WONDER

IF THERE WAS EVEN A FORT BEFORE THIS FORT.

I...

YOU ASK SOME GOOD QUESTIONS.

YOU'RE DEFINITELY ONTO SOMETHING.

THE WRECK, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE FINDING TREASURE,

YOU STILL BELIEVE

THAT SAM BELLAMY'S TREASURE IS HERE?

OH, YEAH. IT'S HERE.

22 TONS OF GOLD AND SILVER.

LAST PLACE SHE TOUCHED GROUND WAS HERE.

BUT HAVE YOU LOOKED UNDER THIS FORT?

THIS IS A STATE PARK.

YOU CAN'T REALLY LOOK AT A STATE PARK

AS FAR AS DIGGING TREASURE.

WELL, I'M NOT ASKING ABOUT THE LEGALITY, OF COURSE.

HAVE YOU LOOKED UNDER THIS FORT?

IT'S A NICE DAY, ISN'T IT?

OKAY. WELL, THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH. I UNDERSTAND.

YOU DON'T NEED TO TELL ME MORE THAN THAT.

I STARTED THIS INVESTIGATION BECAUSE I SUSPECTED

THAT BLACK SAM DIDN'T JUST GO DOWN WITH HIS SHIP

IN A FREAK STORM.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS OFTEN SHARE INFORMATION WITH ONE ANOTHER,

BUT WITH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF TREASURE AT STAKE,

PEOPLE HERE KEEP THEIR CARDS CLOSE TO THEIR CHEST.

MACHIAS, MAINE, DEFINITELY PLAYED A ROLE

IN THE SAM BELLAMY STORY.

AND THE EVIDENCE I UNCOVERED BOTH IN CAPE COD

AND HERE IN MAINE HAS CONVINCED ME

THAT BLACK SAM ESCAPED UP HERE

AND BROUGHT A SIGNIFICANT PORTION

OF HIS TREASURE WITH HIM.

IT WAS A LOCAL LEGEND IN CAPE COD

THAT LED BARRY CLIFFORD

TO THE DISCOVERY OF SAM BELLAMY'S WRECK,

AND I BELIEVE IF THE LOCALS HERE FOLLOW THEIR LEGENDS,

THEY WILL FIND THE MISSING TREASURE

AND THE FATE OF SAM BELLAMY.