Capture of the Nossa Senhora do Cabo
- When
- 1721
- Where
- Réunion Island
- Episodes
- 1
In April 1721, pirates John Taylor and Olivier Levasseur captured the Portuguese galleon Nossa Senhora do Cabo off Réunion. The vessel, damaged by a storm and stripped of cannons, carried immense treasure belonging to high-ranking officials. This event is cited as one of the richest plunders in pirate history.
Episodes
Background and detail
The Capture. The galleon had been damaged in a storm, forcing the crew to discard all 72 cannons to avoid capsizing. It anchored off Réunion for repairs. Levasseur and Taylor boarded the vessel without firing a broadside. The ship carried treasures belonging to the Bishop of Goa, the Patriarch of the East Indies, and the Viceroy of Portugal.
The Loot. The treasure was so vast that the pirates did not rob the passengers. Estimates of the haul vary, with one source citing a maximum value of approximately one million pounds sterling. It is described as one of the richest plunders in the Golden Age of Piracy and potentially the most valuable prize in pirate history.
People involved
- Olivier Levasseur · Pirate Captain
- Jasper Seagar · Pirate
Sources
- Richard Taylor (pirate) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-12
- Olivier Levasseur Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-22
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.