Within Seychelles Hoaxes
Was La Buse's Treasure Map Ever Genuine?
The pirate raid was real, but the famous coded challenge and Mahé treasure trail lack a secure eighteenth-century provenance.
On this page
- The Real Pirate Behind the Legend
- Where the Cryptogram First Appeared
- Why Failed Searches Keep the Story Alive
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Introduction
Was La Buse’s treasure map ever genuine? The short answer is that there is good evidence for the pirate, the treasure raid and the existence of a long-running treasure hunt in Seychelles, but much weaker evidence for the famous cryptogram that supposedly reveals where the treasure lies. The story most people know today centres on a coded message allegedly thrown to the crowd by the pirate Olivier Levasseur, known as La Buse, at his execution in 1730. Yet historians have struggled to find any eighteenth-century document proving that such a message existed. Instead, the cryptogram appears to enter the story through much later twentieth-century accounts, especially the writings of French historian Charles de la Roncière.[Wikipedia]WikipediaCryptogram of Olivier LevasseurCryptogram of Olivier Levasseur
That uncertainty places the legend in an unusual category. It is not a straightforward hoax with a clear inventor, nor is it a securely documented historical event. Rather, it is a treasure myth built around a real pirate, a real fortune, and a coded clue whose origins remain doubtful. In Seychelles, particularly around Mahé, that mixture of fact and mystery has kept treasure hunters digging for generations.[Wikipedia]WikipediaCryptogram of Olivier LevasseurCryptogram of Olivier Levasseur
The Real Pirate Behind the Legend
The foundation of the story is genuine history. Olivier Levasseur was a French pirate active in the Indian Ocean during the early eighteenth century. He is widely associated with the capture of the Portuguese ship Nossa Senhora do Cabo in 1721, one of the richest prizes of the pirate era. Contemporary and later accounts agree that the vessel carried enormous quantities of valuables, including precious metals, jewels and luxury goods.[Wikipedia]WikipediaCryptogram of Olivier LevasseurCryptogram of Olivier Levasseur
Levasseur was eventually captured and executed on Réunion in 1730. From this point onward, however, the evidence becomes much less secure. While later retellings claim that he taunted spectators by throwing a coded message and challenging them to find his treasure, researchers have noted that this dramatic scene is difficult to trace to contemporary records. The colourful execution story is repeated constantly in modern books, websites and documentaries, but historians have found little evidence that eighteenth-century witnesses recorded it.[Wikipedia]WikipediaCryptogram of Olivier LevasseurCryptogram of Olivier Levasseur
This distinction is crucial. The pirate existed. The treasure raid happened. What remains uncertain is whether Levasseur ever left the famous puzzle that transformed a historical pirate into a treasure-hunt legend.
Where the Cryptogram First Appeared
The strongest reason for doubting the cryptogram is its documentary trail.
Modern investigations of the legend repeatedly point to a problem: no securely dated eighteenth-century manuscript containing the famous code has been identified. Instead, the best-known version of the cryptogram appears in Charles de la Roncière’s 1934 book Le Flibustier Mystérieux (The Mysterious Buccaneer).[wikipedia.org]WikipediaCryptogram of Olivier LevasseurCryptogram of Olivier Levasseur
This matters because de la Roncière was not publishing a straightforward archival discovery. He presented the story within a work that blended historical material with literary and romantic treasure-hunt elements. Subsequent books, articles and treasure-hunting theories largely trace their knowledge of the cryptogram back to his account. Researchers studying the cipher’s history have noted that references to the code consistently circle back to de la Roncière rather than to an independently verified eighteenth-century source.[wikipedia.org]WikipediaCryptogram of Olivier LevasseurCryptogram of Olivier Levasseur
Several questions naturally follow:
- If Levasseur really threw a coded message to the crowd in 1730, where is the original document?
- Why does the cryptogram appear so prominently only in twentieth-century literature?
- Why has no verifiable chain of custody been established linking the supposed code from Levasseur’s lifetime to modern treasure hunters?
None of these questions has received a convincing answer. As a result, many historians treat the cryptogram as a later addition to the pirate story rather than as a proven historical artefact.[Wikipedia]WikipediaCryptogram of Olivier LevasseurCryptogram of Olivier Levasseur
Why the Code Looked Convincing
The cryptogram spread because it possessed all the ingredients of a persuasive mystery.
First, it looked technical. The symbols resembled an authentic cipher rather than a simple treasure map. That encouraged generations of amateur code-breakers to believe they were dealing with a genuine secret message.[The Cipher Foundation]cipherfoundation.orgThe Cipher FoundationLa Buse CryptogramImages of a cryptogram allegedly created by the 18th century pirate Olivier Levasseur (often calle…
Second, the story linked the code to a real historical fortune. Unlike many invented treasure tales, Levasseur’s wealth was not purely fictional. Pirates really did seize valuable cargoes in the Indian Ocean, making the idea of hidden riches seem plausible.[Wikipedia]WikipediaCryptogram of Olivier LevasseurCryptogram of Olivier Levasseur
Third, Seychelles itself provided a perfect setting. Isolated coves, unusual rock formations and traces of past maritime activity encouraged the belief that clues might still survive in the landscape. Once people began looking for signs, carvings and hidden chambers, ordinary features could easily be interpreted as evidence supporting the legend.[Kreol Magazine]kreolmagazine.comKreol Magazine Pirate Olivier LevasseurKreol MagazinePirate Olivier Levasseur - La Buse12 Feb 2016 — In addition, a set of strange rock carvings on Bel Ombre beach on the islan…
The result was a self-reinforcing cycle: the cryptogram suggested treasure, treasure hunters searched for clues, and every ambiguous discovery seemed to confirm the cryptogram’s importance.
Why Failed Searches Keep the Story Alive
The most remarkable aspect of the La Buse legend is not the code itself but the persistence of the search.
The best-known treasure hunter was Reginald Cruise-Wilkins, who became convinced in the mid-twentieth century that the cryptogram pointed to hidden treasure on Mahé. He spent decades excavating sites associated with the legend and attracted investors, publicity and official interest. After his death, his son continued the search.[Wikipedia]WikipediaCryptogram of Olivier LevasseurCryptogram of Olivier Levasseur
Searchers occasionally uncovered intriguing objects, including old coins, weapons and signs of earlier human activity. Yet no discovery has definitively demonstrated the existence of the legendary hoard promised by the treasure stories.[Explorersweb]explorersweb.comexploration mysteries treasure olivier levasseurExploration Mysteries: The Treasure of Olivier LevasseurJan 25, 2023 — Pirate Olivier Levasseur supposedly stashed four billi…
Paradoxically, failure has helped the legend survive.
If treasure hunters found nothing at all, interest might have faded. If they found the entire treasure, the mystery would end. Instead, they discovered just enough unusual material to keep speculation alive without resolving it. Each unsuccessful excavation could be explained away: perhaps the code had been misunderstood, perhaps only part of the treasure had been recovered, or perhaps the real hiding place remained undiscovered. This is a common pattern in enduring treasure legends, where the absence of conclusive evidence becomes part of the attraction.
A Legend Stronger Than Its Evidence
From an evidence-based perspective, the balance of probabilities favours a cautious conclusion. The historical Levasseur is real, and the spectacular 1721 treasure raid is well documented. The famous cryptogram, however, lacks a secure eighteenth-century provenance and appears to emerge clearly only in twentieth-century literature. No original manuscript has been produced, and many of the most dramatic details surrounding the code can be traced to later retellings rather than contemporary records.[wikipedia.org]WikipediaCryptogram of Olivier LevasseurCryptogram of Olivier Levasseur
That does not make the story worthless. The doubtful cryptogram reveals how legends grow around genuine events. A real pirate, a real fortune and an uncertain document combined to create one of the Indian Ocean’s most durable treasure myths. In Seychelles, the enduring fascination lies less in whether the code can be solved than in whether the code ever belonged to La Buse at all.[Wikipedia]WikipediaCryptogram of Olivier LevasseurCryptogram of Olivier Levasseur
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Endnotes
1.
Source: Wikipedia
Title: Cryptogram of Olivier Levasseur
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptogram_of_Olivier_Levasseur
2.
Source: explorersweb.com
Title: exploration mysteries treasure olivier levasseur
Link:https://explorersweb.com/exploration-mysteries-treasure-olivier-levasseur/
Source snippet
Exploration Mysteries: The Treasure of Olivier LevasseurJan 25, 2023 — Pirate Olivier Levasseur supposedly stashed four billi...
3.
Source: Wikipedia
Title: Laurence Olivier
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Olivier
4.
Source: Wikipedia
Title: Los Angeles
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles
5.
Source: Wikipedia
Title: Olivier Levasseur
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivier_Levasseur
6.
Source: cipherfoundation.org
Link:https://cipherfoundation.org/older-ciphers/la-buse-cryptogram/
Source snippet
The Cipher FoundationLa Buse CryptogramImages of a cryptogram allegedly created by the 18th century pirate Olivier Levasseur (often calle...
7.
Source: kreolmagazine.com
Title: Kreol Magazine Pirate Olivier Levasseur
Link:https://kreolmagazine.com/pirate-olivier-levasseur-la-buse/
Source snippet
Kreol MagazinePirate Olivier Levasseur - La Buse12 Feb 2016 — In addition, a set of strange rock carvings on Bel Ombre beach on the islan...
8.
Source: treasurenet.com
Title: La Buse
Link:https://www.treasurenet.com/threads/la-buse-any-active-searches.528350/
Additional References
9.
Source: sites.google.com
Link:https://sites.google.com/view/labuse
Source snippet
Google SitesLa Buse CryptogramThis cryptogram uses a variation of an ancient and well-known cipher called the pigpen cypher that was popu...
10.
Source: ciphermysteries.com
Title: la buse le butin pirate cipher
Link:https://ciphermysteries.com/2013/04/15/la-buse-le-butin-pirate-cipher
Source snippet
Cipher MysteriesLa Buse's / Le Butin's Pirate Cipher (Part 1)...15 Apr 2013 — When about to be hanged, Levasseur (allegedly) took a neckl...
11.
Source: ciphermysteries.com
Title: la buse and edgar allan poe
Link:https://ciphermysteries.com/2015/09/08/la-buse-and-edgar-allan-poe
Source snippet
Cipher MysteriesLa Buse and Edgar Allan Poe...Sep 8, 2015 — The first 'La Buse' cryptogram was first described (and indeed ably decrypted...
12.
Source: youtube.com
Title: The Pirate Who Left Behind an Unsolvable Treasure Code — Olivier Levasseur
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QzuyOGw0c0
Source snippet
The Pirate's Final Riddle: Olivier Levasseur and the Billion-Dollar Treasure Hunt...
13.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMBi_mfPEis
Source snippet
The Lost Pirate Treasure – The 300-Year Mystery Nobody Can Solve...
14.
Source: youtube.com
Title: The Real Record Behind the La Buse Treasure Legend
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhT0XSz47CE
Source snippet
The Pirate Who Left Behind an Unsolvable Treasure Code — Olivier Levasseur...
15.
Source: escales.ponant.com
Title: pirate la buse 2
Link:https://escales.ponant.com/en/pirate-la-buse-2/
Source snippet
PONANT Travel MagazineOlivier Levasseur: the story of the pirate La BuseMar 2, 2026 — On board was the Count of Ericeira, Viceroy of Port...
16.
Source: escales.ponant.com
Title: pirate la buse 2
Link:https://escales.ponant.com/us/pirate-la-buse-2/
Source snippet
PONANT Travel Magazineon the trail of the lost treasure of the pirate La BuseMar 2, 2026 — Since his death in 1730 in Réunion, astounding...
17.
Source: youtube.com
Title: The Lost Pirate Treasure – The 300-Year Mystery Nobody Can Solve
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMzlfRTCuaM
Source snippet
Pirate Treasure: Olivier "La Buse" Levasseur...
18.
Source: reddit.com
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/codes/comments/1m6chfy/can_be_solve_this_cryptogram_and_rebus_of_pirate/
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