Dead Chest Island is an island located half a mile north east (0.4 miles at 27 degrees true) of Deadman's Bay on Peter Island, British Virgin Islands.[1] It is uninhabited, has no fresh water or trees and only sparse vegetation. It was formerly used as a firing range by the Royal Virgin Islands Police, but the opening of the nearby hotel on Peter Island coincided with the decision to build a proper firing range on the island of Tortola. The island is now an uninhabited National Park, with several popular scuba diving and snorkeling sites.
Dead Chest Island
Dead Chest island as viewed from Deadman's Bay, Peter Island
Dead Chest Island
The location of Dead Chest Island within the British Virgin Islands
According to an apocryphal story, the pirateBlackbeardmarooned his crew on Dead Chest Island as punishment, leaving them with nothing but a cutlass and a bottle of rum each. How many pirates, and how many days, varies according to the source retelling the story. By the end of the month, only a few of pirates were left alive. Because the earliest known references to this story are from the 20th century, it is almost certainly fakelore derived from Robert Louis Stevenson's song "Dead Man's Chest", which first appeared in his novel Treasure Island in 1883. The chorus of "Dead Man's Chest" is as follows:
Fifteen men on the dead man's chest— ...Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum! Drink and the devil had done for the rest— ...Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!
Stevenson found the name "Dead Man's Chest" among a list of island names in a book by Charles Kingsley and said "Treasure Island came out of Kingsley's At Last: A Christmas in the West Indies (1871); where I got the 'Dead Man's Chest' - that was the seed".[2][3][4] Kingsley had written in At Last: "Unfortunately, English buccaneers have since then [1493] have given to most of them [the Virgin Islands] less poetic names. The Dutchman's Cap, Broken Jerusalem, The Dead Man's Chest, Rum Island, and so forth, mark a time and a race more prosaic, but still more terrible, though not one whit more wicked and brutal, than the Spanish conquistadores."[2] In other words, the song is not based on a former legend, it is entirely new as of 1883 and original with Stevenson. While the two names are not exactly the same ("Dead Man's Chest" vs "Dead Chest"), the similarities are striking, and there are no other islands named like it in the Virgin Islands, suggesting they are one and the same. If on the other hand the island "Dead Man's Chest" referenced by Kingsley in At Last is not the same as the island known today as "Dead Chest Island", then there would be no connection between "Dead Chest Island" and Stevenson's song "Dead Man's Chest", since Stevenson's song is in reference to Kingsley's island.
In 1994, a journalist, Quentin van Marle, spent 31 days alone on the island as a voluntary castaway, beating the supposed record of Blackbeard's pirates and in commemoration of the centenary of Robert Louis Stevenson's death.[5]
^ (Map) (1997 ed.). Nautical Publications GmbH. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
^ abKingsley, Charles (1871). "Chapter 1: Outward Bound". At Last: A Christmas in the West Indies – via Project Gutenberg. Unfortunately, English buccaneers have since then given to most of them [islands] less poetic names. The Dutchman's Cap, Broken Jerusalem, The Dead Man's Chest, Rum Island, and so forth, mark a time and a race more prosaic, but still more terrible, though not one whit more wicked and brutal, than the Spanish Conquistadores.
^Cordingly, David (1996). Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates. Random House. p. 5. ISBN9780679425601.
^Stevenson, Robert Louis (2001). "To Sidney Colvin. Late May 1884". Selected Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson. New Haven: Yale Nota Bene. p. 263. ISBN9780300091243.
^van Marle, Quentin (1995). Marooned One Man's Ordeal on Dead man's Chest. New Nautilus Press. ISBN0-9526322-0-9.
April 11, 2024
dead, chest, island, british, virgin, islands, dead, chest, island, island, located, half, mile, north, east, miles, degrees, true, deadman, peter, island, british, virgin, islands, uninhabited, fresh, water, trees, only, sparse, vegetation, formerly, used, fi. Dead Chest Island is an island located half a mile north east 0 4 miles at 27 degrees true of Deadman s Bay on Peter Island British Virgin Islands 1 It is uninhabited has no fresh water or trees and only sparse vegetation It was formerly used as a firing range by the Royal Virgin Islands Police but the opening of the nearby hotel on Peter Island coincided with the decision to build a proper firing range on the island of Tortola The island is now an uninhabited National Park with several popular scuba diving and snorkeling sites Dead Chest IslandDead Chest island as viewed from Deadman s Bay Peter IslandDead Chest IslandThe location of Dead Chest Island within the British Virgin IslandsShow map of British Virgin IslandsDead Chest IslandDead Chest Island Caribbean Show map of CaribbeanGeographyLocationCaribbean SeaCoordinates18 21 57 N 64 33 48 W 18 36583 N 64 56333 W 18 36583 64 56333ArchipelagoVirgin IslandsAdministration United Kingdom British Virgin IslandsBritish Overseas TerritoryBritish Virgin IslandsAdditional informationTime zoneAST UTC 4 ISO codeVGBlackbeard and Stevenson editAccording to an apocryphal story the pirate Blackbeard marooned his crew on Dead Chest Island as punishment leaving them with nothing but a cutlass and a bottle of rum each How many pirates and how many days varies according to the source retelling the story By the end of the month only a few of pirates were left alive Because the earliest known references to this story are from the 20th century it is almost certainly fakelore derived from Robert Louis Stevenson s song Dead Man s Chest which first appeared in his novel Treasure Island in 1883 The chorus of Dead Man s Chest is as follows Fifteen men on the dead man s chest Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum Drink and the devil had done for the rest Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum Stevenson found the name Dead Man s Chest among a list of island names in a book by Charles Kingsley and said Treasure Island came out of Kingsley s At Last A Christmas in the West Indies 1871 where I got the Dead Man s Chest that was the seed 2 3 4 Kingsley had written in At Last Unfortunately English buccaneers have since then 1493 have given to most of them the Virgin Islands less poetic names The Dutchman s Cap Broken Jerusalem The Dead Man s Chest Rum Island and so forth mark a time and a race more prosaic but still more terrible though not one whit more wicked and brutal than the Spanish conquistadores 2 In other words the song is not based on a former legend it is entirely new as of 1883 and original with Stevenson While the two names are not exactly the same Dead Man s Chest vs Dead Chest the similarities are striking and there are no other islands named like it in the Virgin Islands suggesting they are one and the same If on the other hand the island Dead Man s Chest referenced by Kingsley in At Last is not the same as the island known today as Dead Chest Island then there would be no connection between Dead Chest Island and Stevenson s song Dead Man s Chest since Stevenson s song is in reference to Kingsley s island In 1994 a journalist Quentin van Marle spent 31 days alone on the island as a voluntary castaway beating the supposed record of Blackbeard s pirates and in commemoration of the centenary of Robert Louis Stevenson s death 5 See also editCaja de MuertosNotes edit C13 Caribbean Yachting Charts Tortola to Virgin Gorda Map 1997 ed Nautical Publications GmbH Archived from the original on 30 September 2007 a b Kingsley Charles 1871 Chapter 1 Outward Bound At Last A Christmas in the West Indies via Project Gutenberg Unfortunately English buccaneers have since then given to most of them islands less poetic names The Dutchman s Cap Broken Jerusalem The Dead Man s Chest Rum Island and so forth mark a time and a race more prosaic but still more terrible though not one whit more wicked and brutal than the Spanish Conquistadores Cordingly David 1996 Under the Black Flag The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates Random House p 5 ISBN 9780679425601 Stevenson Robert Louis 2001 To Sidney Colvin Late May 1884 Selected Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson New Haven Yale Nota Bene p 263 ISBN 9780300091243 van Marle Quentin 1995 Marooned One Man s Ordeal on Dead man s Chest New Nautilus Press ISBN 0 9526322 0 9 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dead Chest Island British Virgin Islands amp oldid 1179171766, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
