"The Gold-Bug" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, set on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina involving deciphering a secret message and finding buried treasure. The story was first published in the Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper in June 1843 after Poe had won a competition held by the paper, receiving a prize of US$100.
"The Gold-Bug" is a story of a strange man named William Legrand who seemingly goes mad after finding and being bitten by a bug thought to be made of pure gold. He notifies his closest friend, the narrator, telling him to immediately come visit him at his home on Sullivan's Island in South Carolina. Upon the narrator's arrival, Legrand informs him that they are embarking upon a search for lost treasure along with his African-American servant Jupiter. The narrator has intense doubt and questions if Legrand has gone insane. After following several clues, however, they find treasure buried by the infamous pirate "Captain Kidd," that is estimated by the narrator to be...
