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RE: Oak Island




You wrote: I was looking for something to watch on TV last night when I
happened to turn to the PAX channel. They had a program detailing the
History of the dig to uncover what is in the "Money Pit". I did not get the
dates of the dig, but the period costumes used depict some time in the
1800's.

The History Channel has never professed to present history with accuracy,
and a company designed to deliver television leaves the fact checking to
producers...so don't take the words of their programming as gospel...as it
were...I have yet to see Oak Island tv that comes close to event the worst
of the 200 or so books on the topic.

Others on the list have their own suggestions no doubt, but RV Harris is the
best place to start (if you feel like skipping Mathers de Brisay's 1856
History of Lunenburg County which recounts the early years). Darcy
O"Connor's The Big Dig is often cited as reliable. Mark Finnan's Oak Island
Mystery is a good update, William S. Crooker has several good books on the
subject and I just enjoyed Lionel and Patricia Fanthorpe's book. I don't
know if Dr Tim is going to write about it or not after our recent
clan-inspired visit there in September.

The Money Pit was discovered in 1795.

You wrote: When they reached about the 50 foot depth they pulled up a flat
stone with symbols etched into it. The moderator said that they were Coptic
words which translate to English as, "below this point is buried 2000 pounds
of gold". The stone itself was represented to have originated somewhere in
Egypt as someone analyzed the rock structure.

The original stone has lost for almost a century and, to my knowledge, there
is no "known" replication of what was inscribed on the original stone.
Anyone who claims to have a copy of the actual inscription should have the
document investigated thoroughly (and then we'd all love to see it!) There
are several descriptions of the stone itself, but there is no actual
analysis.

	The common "translation" is cited in most books as being: "Forty feet below
2 million pounds are buried".

You wrote: The next day they reached a layer of wood at the 60 foot level,
but could not go past it due to daylight dwindling. They poked a steel bar
through & hit another layer of wood 3 t0 4 feet below them. When they
returned the next day a layer of clay had shifted & the shaft was flooded.
The conclusion was that the designer of the shaft intended that to happen if
it was disturbed as it was yards away from the Ocean.

	This is a vast oversimplification, but yes, the standard and acceptable
conclusion is that both flood tunnels are deliberately built. (BTW: I don't
guarantee the following dates as I've never done a comparison between the
many books as it's not my specific area of interest - but they're probably
close enough right now) The Pit first flooded in 1803, the first year of the
Oslow Company's efforts. The Smith's Cove tunnel was discovered in 1849 or
1850 by the Truro Company. The exposure and study of the Northern tunnel
leading to Smith's Cove has turned the once beautiful cove into a tortured
wasteland.

You wrote: Now my question for the historians in our family is if Prince
Henry was thought to have ordered the Pit constructed where did the Coptic
symbols come from? Could it be the tie in with the Templars? Would Prince
Henry have learned the Coptic alphabet while on Crusade in the Holy Lands?
Or is the whole thing an elaborate hoax?

Prince Henry is not reliably thought to have anything to do with Oak Island
directly - I cannot speak of others views towards indirect connexions...

current Henry Nova Scotia locations in vogue are:

Guysborough Harbour
Pictou
Advocate

Fallen into disfavor:
Oak Island
New Ross
Louisbourg

Undecided:
Bayer's Lake Mystery Walls

Care to break your silence Dr Tim?

	I wish you would, I at least enjoy your missives as entertaining writing,
even when I do not agree with your p.o.v.

Please forgive me jsq...


Best to all,

Geo. D. S.

Best to you,
				rob cohn
			     halifax, nova scotia

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