▁dig gers ▁gave ▁a ▁statement ▁regarding ▁the ▁original ▁story ▁along ▁with ▁subsequent ▁On slow ▁and ▁Tru ro ▁Company ▁activities . ▁ ▁The ▁original ▁story ▁by ▁early ▁sett lers ▁involves ▁a ▁dying ▁sail or ▁from ▁the ▁crew ▁of ▁Captain ▁K idd ▁( d . ▁ 1 7 0 1 ), ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁states ▁that ▁tre asure ▁worth ▁£ 2   mill ion ▁had ▁been ▁buried ▁on ▁the ▁island . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁most ▁widely ▁held ▁discovery ▁story , ▁Daniel ▁McG inn is ▁found ▁a ▁de pression ▁in ▁the ▁ground ▁around ▁ 1 7 9 9 ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁looking ▁for ▁a ▁location ▁for ▁a ▁farm . ▁McG inn is , ▁who ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁de pression ▁was ▁consistent ▁with ▁the ▁Captain ▁K idd ▁story , ▁sought ▁help ▁with ▁dig ging . ▁With ▁the ▁assistance ▁of ▁two ▁men ▁identified ▁only ▁as ▁John ▁Smith ▁and ▁Anthony ▁V aug hn , ▁he ▁exc av ated ▁the ▁de pression ▁and ▁discovered ▁a ▁layer ▁of ▁flag st ones ▁two ▁feet ▁( 6 0   cm ) ▁below . ▁According ▁to ▁later ▁accounts , ▁o ak ▁platforms ▁were ▁discovered ▁every ▁; ▁however , ▁the ▁earliest ▁accounts ▁simply ▁mention ▁" marks " ▁of ▁some ▁type ▁at ▁these ▁intervals . ▁The ▁accounts ▁also ▁mentioned ▁" tool ▁marks " ▁or ▁pick ▁sc rap es ▁on ▁the ▁walls ▁of ▁the ▁pit . ▁The ▁earth ▁was ▁notice ably ▁loose , ▁not ▁as ▁hard - pack ed ▁as ▁the ▁surrounding ▁soil . ▁The ▁three ▁men ▁reported ly ▁abandoned ▁the ▁exc av ation ▁at ▁ ▁due