Captain Kidd's silver treasure found off Madagascar

A team of American explorers have reportedly discovered silver treasure from the infamous 17th-century Scottish pirate William Kidd in a shipwreck off the coast of Madagascar.

Marine archaeologist Barry Clifford said that he had found a 50kg silver bar (around R315 000) in the wreck of Kidd's ship the Adventure Gallery, close to the small island of Sainte Marie, News24.com reported.

Captain Kidd, who was first employed by British authorities to hunt pirates, turned himself into a ruthless criminal of the high seas and after looting a treasure-laden ship in 1698, was caught, imprisoned and questioned for in front of the British parliament before being executed in Wapping, close to the River Thames in 1701.

Clifford, who was filmed by a documentary crew lifting the silver bar off the sea bed, handed it over to Malagasy President Hery Rajaonarimampianina on Sainte Marie. Soldiers guarded the apparent treasure at the ceremony, which was attended by the US and British ambassadors.

Clifford said that they discovered 13 ships in the bay and they've been working on two of them over the last 10 weeks. One of them is the Fire Dragon, the other is Captain Kidd's 'Adventure Galley.