er family as a manor since the
first of them, Lionel Gardiner, obtained a royal grant almost three
centuries ago. In June of 1699, John Gardiner, third of the line of
proprietors, sighted a strange sloop anchored in his island harbor, and
rowed out to make the acquaintance of Captain William Kidd who had
crossed from Narragansett Bay in the San Antonio. What happened
between them and how the treasure was buried and dug up is told in the
official testimony of John Gardiner, dated July 17th, 1699.

"THE NARRATIVE OF JOHN GARD(I)NER OF GARD(I)NER ISLAND, ALIAS ISLE OF
WIGHT, RELATING TO CAPTAIN WILLIAM KIDD.

That about twenty days ago Mr. Emmot of New York came to the Narrator's
house and desired a boat to go to New York, telling the Narrator he
came from my Lord at Boston, whereupon the Narrator furnished Mr. Emmot
with a boat and he went for New York. And that evening the Narrator
saw a Sloop with six guns riding an Anchor off Gardiner's Island and
two days afterwards in the evening the Narrator went on board said
Sloop to enquire what she was.

And so soon as he came on board, Capt. Kidd (then unknown to the
Narrator) asked him how himself and family did, telling him that he,
the said Kidd, was going to my Lord at Boston, and desired the Narrator
to carry three Negroes, two boys and a girl ashore to keep till he, the
said Kidd, or his order should call for them, which the Narrator
accordingly did.

That about two hours after the Narrator had got the said Negroes
ashore, Capt. Kidd sent his boat ashore with two bales of goods and a
Negro boy; and the morning after, the said Kidd desired the Narrator to
come immediately on board and bring six Sheep with him for his voyage
for Boston, which the Narrator did. Kidd asked him to spare a barrel
of Cyder, which the Narrator with great importunity consented to, and
sent two of his men for it, who brought the Cyder on board said Sloop.
Whilst the men were gone for the Cyder, Capt. Kidd offered the Narrator
several pieces of damnified[2] Muslin and Bengali as a present to his
Wife, which the said Kidd put in a bagg and gave the Narrator. And
about a quarter of an hour afterwards the said Kidd took up two or
three (more) pieces of damnified Muslin and gave the Narrator for his
proper use.

And the Narrator's men then coming on board with the said barrel of
Cyder as aforesaid, Kidd gave them a piece of Arabian gold for their
trouble and also for bringing him word. The