Pirates of Shellbird Island

Looking Down On Shellbird Island, Photo by Peter Brake

The Man in the Mountain is a natural rock formation resembling a face that overlooks a small island in the middle of the Humber River. As a child, I was often told stories of how the old man in the mountain was a guardian of a secret treasure that had been buried long ago. Although there has been no proof of treasure actually being buried on Shellbird Island, the fact remains that the story of pirates is a priceless gem that should not be forgotten.

Peter Easton was a pirate who operated along the Newfoundland coastline from 1611 to 1614. He is often hailed as being one of the most successful pirates of his time. Easton was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth I to protect the Newfoundland fishing fleet and often pressured local fishermen into service to attack the Spanish. Easton crossed the line into piracy in 1603 when he continued to attack the Spanish, despite the fact that the King had initiated peace talks with Spain and had cancelled all letters of commission to privateers, Easton being included.

It is believed that Easton not only attacked the Spanish but attacked merchant ships traveling from Quebec as well. During one of his raids, Easton was interrupted by a French warship and was forced to retreat into the mouth of the Humber River. Some versions of this story say that Easton’s ship ran ashore and the pirate and his crew escaped upriver to Shellbird Island, where they stashed their treasure. In this version of the story, a prisoner by the name of Hughes was found on board the grounded ship. It is said that this man later built a log cabin on the bank of what is now known as Hughes’ Brook.

Other accounts state that Easton sent his First Mate and another member of his crew to Shellbird Island with three chests which were to be buried in different locations. At the final location, the First Mate shot and killed his companion, believing that his ghost would guard the treasure. He never returned to Easton, having later drowned when his boat was swept away by the mighty current of the Humber.

Easton never learned the location of his treasure and spent years of his life searching for what was never to be found. Legend has it that only the Man in the Mountain knows the secret of the buried treasure and that anyone who goes looking for it will be received by the cold, dead hands of a vengeful pirate ghost.