Harry P Davis

Ancient Investigator Harry P Davis

This is more than just a history book, it is an adventure into the lives of those who chose to live on the edge of history. Princes and Pirates both are known for possessing great treasures. One usually owned the treasures legally and out rightly...the other ill-gotten loot was taken through murder on land and the high seas. You could find their lost treasure by tracking their lives!Both Prince and Pirate needed to secure their treasure just as everyone who owns more money than they can carry around on their person. In the not too distant past, there were no official banks to hold cash and valuables for those who needed a holding place so, the individual had to find other means to hide their wealth from others. Princes could place their treasures in castles and forts guarded by armed guards. When the royal heirs left for war or adventuring, they would carry much of their wealth with them to buy mercenaries and war machines or as barter in foreign lands. Pirates had their secret hide-a-ways and maps to lead to them and since they could not trust many of their vagabond crew, they had to trust their wits and creativity in hiding away their stash. This was true for each member of the crew so, he or she all had to have a special "cache" unknown to others, yet easy to get to if they had to make a get-a-way. Many didn't get-a -way!Princes travelling to a far country or to do war would often carry their wealth with them since to leave it could invite an uprising or coo. This is an important point, since one of the stories covered in this book is about a Welsh Prince who travelled all the way across the Atlantic Ocean and into the Gulf of Mexico with no guarantee of ever returning. I believe the wealth of a prince, and perhaps two princes (Madoc's brother who led the Irish fleet) could be buried near the mouth of Mobile Bay!On the opposite side of Mobile Bay several chests of gold coins could still be buried in the muck!Purloined loot secreted away, by a very bloody land pirate who roamed this area with a trained gang of nearly a hundred murderers and who had special code symbols to mark the way to barrels of gold coins.