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the upper mask is a Fang Ngil type. the lower face is in the shape of a baseball home plate.  (Detroit Lions?)

Detroit Lions are a football team. My former college roommate currently has my copy of the book, but as I recall, there may have been something hidden in the lion's mane.  For anyone who has the book --- is there anything there?

Just an observation.  Look at the strange mask behind the butterfly.  There appears to be what may be the letter h or n over the left eye.  There is a line that goes up from where the nose would be and continues over the left eye.  It looks to me to be a small letter n.  Now, not using the line added, just use the outline over both eyes......m.  Hmmm, looks like I'm back to where I started with this....how interesting.

The upper part of the mask appears to be a map.  It actually looks like the southern part of Africa, with the Island of Madagascar thrown in.  I can't seem to fit it with any U.S. location however. Has anyone taken the time to look at the lion's hair --- I believe something is hidden in it --- letters or numbers.

Yes Egg, there do appear to be several letters/numbers scattered throughout the lions mane...I have not been able to make neither heads nor tails of them though. The part of the mask I was referring to is located just above the eyes.  I see what you refer to as maplike.  Now, what would one of my posts be without a stretch?  Here goes: Excluding the smaller specks/dots/formations low on the mask, you have (from left to right) what are similar (once again, not exact matches) to Texas, Florida & and 2 formations that could be any number of states.  IF this is the case, than you have 4 states.....which again leads me to my possible burial site of being the Four Corners area.  There are many other things within this P which also leads me there. I have tentatively paired this P with V1 which I have also found things which could point me here.  Unfortunately, I have yet to locate the "982" which Cat has found in a park in Houston....still looking for that one.

I believe this image falls under the following theme: April (4 o'clock) Diamond Daisy African Theme "Africa's Diamond, earth-born star, Bright harvest of the midnight rock."

The Florida in the mask really jumped out at me.  I don't think the other shapes in the mask are important.  Also, Florida has a lot of theme parks and whatnot.  The lion face looks familiar, like something from a zoo advertisement. Also the Florida shape suggests either central or Southern Florida (Orlando, Tampa, Miami, etc) Google: Florida + lion +safari + park = http://www.lioncountrysafari.com/info/history.shtml Lion Country Safari, Florida opened in 1967, in rural Western Palm Beach County. At the time it was the first drive through safari park in the country and introduced a new concept to animal lovers, "The Cageless Zoo." The opening generated enormous interest on the part of residents, visitors to South Florida, and the media. The park developed into a popular and successful attraction. No easy link to the pear yet.

My initial impression of the mask has always been that it is a map of New York City. Manhatten in the center.  Queens and Brooklyn are to the east.  New Jersey is to the west.  Staten Island to the southwest.  Roosevelt Island is in the East River between Manhatten and Queens. Maybe on Roosevelt Island?  Teddy Roosevelt liked to go on Safari.  A statue of him stands outside the museum of Natural History, which contains many African artifacts. However, I never felt that anything else in the picture led to New York.

You're right, it does appear to be New York City.  I just spent a little time with an online atlas and it does appear to be a closer match to NYC than the state of Florida, although it's swapped East-West. Mind you, they are about the same shape, and Florida has Cape Canaveral (NASA) about where the island is, but I think you're right, it's NYC.

Well, despite my conjecture, I've always felt stronger that image 12 actually represented New York. The woman standing over the water has the face of the Statue of Liberty. Also, the head of the eagle looks exactly like the eagle on the Chrysler building. One thing to look at in the book:  There is a map that shows how the fairies traveled from Europe to America.  Each group has a horizontal line from their country of origin heading east. Maybe the lines intersect with the state that the fairies settled in?  Tie this together with the type of stone each fairey had from the verse on pp 20-21 and the picture of the stone in each image to figure out what image goes with what state? What do you think?

Unknown: One thing to look at in the book:  There is a map that shows how the fairies traveled from Europe to America.  Each group has a horizontal line from their country of origin heading east. Maybe the lines intersect with the state that the fairies settled in?  Tie this together with the type of stone each fairey had from the verse on pp 20-21 and the picture of the stone in each image to figure out what image goes with what state? The problem with this theory is regarding the information that one casque resides in Canada and the rest in the United States.  By simply extrapolating those straight lines on a latitudinal map, the top 3 or 4 (at least) could be in no location other than Canada because they are so far north -- unless I am mistaken. I had wanted this map to be an additional clue very badly, but if it is, it doesn't appear to be that simple.

The hair of the lion has, from left to right, the numbers 33, 79 (upside down), 80, and 36. Using Fox's latitude/longitude idea, this could indicate South Carolina (Charleston, Columbia, etc.).  We would have to ignore the 36 to do that. If you ignore the 33 and use 36, you get to North Carolina. However, I was just looking at Mapquest, and Charleston SC is almost an exact match to the coastline on the map.  Bingo!  just zoom in one time, and pan north: [url]http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?searchtype=address&formtype=search&countryid=250&addtohistory=&country=US&address=&city=charleston&state=sc&zipcode=&h istoryid=&submit=Get+Map[/url] The main street in downtown Charleston is "King" Street (king of the jungle). Edit:  here's a better map: http://www.aliensonearth.com/catalog/maps/loc/32/079/324500t0795230.shtml

The coastline is almost an exact match. I'm sold on this one being Charleston. I found the following on Charleston-related website ( http://www.charlestonlowcountry.com/abo ... gtour.html ) "The washers at the ends of the rods can be seen on the outside of the homes. I noticed that several of the washers had been covered with decorative metal lions’ heads. There is a definite lion theme in this area. It can be seen in statues placed at front doors of homes, lion decorations placed on top of and around buildings, and lion faces forged into the iron gates." Maybe this is the reason for the lion in the picture. Charleston had a minor league baseball team in the early 80's (and still does) which might connect to the image in the shape of a home plate.

You're right that the fruit and branch don't seem to match.  However, that sure looks like a pear.  It just so happens that the name of the main bridge in Charleston, over which goes Rt. 17, is the Silas PEARman bridge.  King Street goes near it, and there appears to be a Martin Park near both of them.  Still researching.............

nice find guys.  stubborn ole fox is still tying this P with NM but if you keep finding finds like these, I may just have to change my mind.........again

--beneath the 33 is a diagonal cross --above and to the left of the 36 (right side of pic, in mane) is a 4, possibly a 45 if the 5 "melts" into the upper half of the 3 in 36 --to the right of the mask is what looks to be a horizontal pole with a "rope" hanging so that this arrangement is in the shape of eyeglasses.  Behind this arrangement of lines is a diagonal line leading up and to the right and then bending up and to the left towards the 36. Does this mean something?  I have no idea. --Johann

ok...2 things.. -in the left portion of the lions hair, there is an 80-rather obvious once you find it  33/80 is lat/long for charleston, SC -also check this link out and tell me its not the creepy EXACT physical shape reference weve been looking for. The river system is depicted in the mask forehead. Directly above Charleston ;] http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image. ... d%20States

* i meant the aerial photo was taken directly above charleston...i didnt mean north of it ;]  😮

gotta love it.  here is another map: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?co ... pcode=&sea rch=++Search++

as long as we may be in Charleston and parks seem to be the locale of choice.  A possibility may be: http://sciway3.net/outdoors/park-charlestonhampton.html especially since it is near The Citadel.

very nice find cthree...its obvious that the river system depicted on the mask is definitely charleston SC.

Wow, I must not be getting something.  This info isn't new.  I already identified Charleston with this picture, using the coastline on the mask and the latitude/longitude.  You guys should read an entire thread before posting.

Unknown: This info isn't new.  I already identified Charleston with this picture, using the coastline on the mask and the latitude/longitude. Unknown: very nice find cthree...its obvious that the river system depicted on the mask is definitely charleston SC. Ummm well, sorry you felt the need to issue a negative coment about my post i didnt intend to 'steal' your credit man...i just was posting an actual PICTURE of the coast not just a map. If you ask me the detail in the map i posted is much better than yours. This is a forum for people to discuss and share information-not for people to make discoveries and claim credit. So...how's this-HEY EVERYBODY! DONT THINK IM BETTER THAN EGG OR ANYTHING! HE FOUND THE RIVER IN THE MASK BEFORE ANY OF US!!!!!!  ::) Let's please not let this be about glory. I did in fact read and fully understand the ENTIRE thread and thought i'd contribute an interesting picture i found. Sorry if that offended you!  😉

Unknown: ok...2 things.. -in the left portion of the lions hair, there is an 80-rather obvious once you find it  33/80 is lat/long for charleston, SC -also check this link out and tell me its not the creepy EXACT physical shape reference weve been looking for. The river system is depicted in the mask forehead. Directly above Charleston ;] http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image. ... d%20States Sorry if I misread your post.  It certainly appeared to me that the above post was you "finding" the "80" in the lion's hair and coming up with the lat/lon of Charleston (which was already done --- not sure why you're saying it again).  It also appeared that you are claiming that Charleston is the same "physical shape reference" of the mask --- the one "we've been looking for" (again, already done).  It doesn't matter to me who found it first, it would just be nice to read posts with new info instead of duplicate information.

assuming there is new info to post thats great! but if not sometimes a rephrasing or rehash of old info, or a comment about or a confirmation of someone elses opinion can spark a new thought or get someones ideas flowing or jumping along a new path.

i agree...if you feel that you might be able to stimulate peoples treasure hunting skills (lol) in any fashion please do! I have seen some pretty ridiculous suggestions but of course they are welsome here! Thats what this board is for-and specific info has been brought up more than once with great results! Keep it up!  8)

I must agree with Falcon.  I have been here since DAY 1 of these boards (actually regenerated interest in the hunt) and had forgotten about the Charleston find.  Had it not been for C3, I would have been off in another new direction (no longer 4Corners Cat  😉 ) with this P. Before anyone steals my glory  😀 ------------------------------------ fox Morse Posts: 254 The Secret « on: August 8th, 2001, 1:07am » -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OK folks, time for you guys to dig up & dust off your copies of "The Secret".  I realize the actual prizes are no longer available but the casques are still hidden and wouldn't you like to be the one to finally crack this hunt which has been around since 1982?  If anyone out there would like to colaborate, please email me: [email protected] I have some solid ideas for a lot of the riddles and am really trying to crack one in particular since I believe it is located not far from me. Hope to hear from you soon......... Logged ------------------------------------- now, lets find the Charleston Casque!!!!

http://www.ci.charleston.sc.us/photo_winners041.html

There seems to be a yellow extension between the pear/apple and the daisy.  Also, it looks like the daisy has a bent-down petal. --Johann

Ok then more to let your brain grind: I found an interesting flag from the civil war era. details are as follows: 1775. George Washington’s military secretary, Colonel Joseph Reed, proposed that all American ships fly this Massachusetts Navy flag. The Massachusetts Navy flag was one used by some New England ships before the revolution. It had the red flag of the English Naval ensign with the Union Jack in the corner replaced by an American pine tree. This version of the flag links the regional symbol, a New England pine, with the red, white and blue colors displacing the plain red flag area... The stripes match the order on the -sumter/mask, and the pinetree is of course in the pic--the flag was flown on ships in charleston harbor for sure. Also, early on Cat mentioned that the mask was a Fang Ngil type.--this applies of course to the african theme but keep in mind that this mask signified a judicial responsibility. Ive taken a few looks at courthouses and such.  🙂

When I first looked at this picture I was thinking Seattle. But after reading the posts I can see Charleston. So I started to look into it more about the daisy and the pear. With the bent petal, I wonder if that is pertaining to White Point Gardens. Col. Issac Hayne whom was executed there for treason by the British, owned property one of them was called Pear Hill. Is there something pertaining to the state? It seems the pattern is one symbolizes the state the treasure is, then one pinpoints the city, etc.....

Something I have often found myself wondering about this P is why would a location in SC have an african feeling P representing it?  Lions, african masks, etc.....  Does that spell out SC to you....?.....nor I... Until now that is.  And the connection will kick you in the rump. http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3chrlst.htm also, look down in the middle of the page where it says alternate pattern names are: Flying Charleston, Hand to Hand Charleston, Crossed Arm Charleston etc....  flying..?..hand to hand..?..crossed arm..?.. sounds kind of like our butterfly lady. hope I'm not the only one who likes this fit...seems pretty concrete to me.

Do the Charleston! Interesting find Fox.

speaking of baseball and fort sumter- abner Doubleday (inventor of baseball) was stationed at the fort and fired the first shot in defense of the fort.

look below the ladies feet, those look like islands along a river. does that match any charleston topography?

Regarding the African connection, my nephew and I were wondering if Charleston was a prominent location for the slave trade.  It has been said that each pic is connected to a group of immigrants, and the Africans were the involuntary immigrants. --Johann

you could pretty much say it was the prominent place. the center of that trade. very good point.

Aaaaahh.  You must be online because you beat me to the answer.  But, thank you.  I realized, just after asking the question, that I could look for the answer myself instead of being lazy.  Here is one example: "As the town boomed, Charleston also became America's major port in the slave trade . . ." (saznj.tripod.com/historyofcsc,html). --Johann

I just got back from a short trip to Charleston, SC. I'm now trying to figure out how to relate the volumes of interesting things ive seen and thought in the past 2 weeks to you guys.Ok---in the beginning i decided that if in fact the Charleston casque was buried in a park, then it would have to be either Francis Marion or Whitepoint Gardens. There are others, including Hampton Park--but that one was quickly eliminated after a few hours in Charleston. Basically the parks other than FM and WPG we either just 'parks' (Hampton-no monuments no real anything besides a 'park') or they had been transformed in a major way--(Marion square has been changed multiple times, but still holds many monuments and such)-We checked Washington Square-Cannon Park-the Old Exchange-Waterfront (even though it was built after the book was published.) and basically decided on White Point. Why? Well there are a few things. Im just going to list them all here-some are further stretches that others so stick with me ;] Before i left the 2 things that stuck out most were the 'king' of the jungle relating to King St., and the designs in the fairies wings reminded me of the cannon covers at the battery. Also the little circles pattern is either the stacks of cannon balls at the battery or just a representation of cobblestone--the cobblestone portion of Charleston is right next to the battery. So thats where we spent most of our time. I also liked the fact that there was a church street as well as king that went straight to the battery. Maybe thats waht the little cross in the lion's hair refers too. Also-a little further out- i thought the things under the lions eyes looked like beaches.  Also we have discussed the strange mark on the african mask. The line that starts from Ft. Sumpter and makes a strange design--. It actually encircles white point perfectly. Fort Sumpter can be actually seen from the battery as well which was another bonus. After a trip to the Library we decided that the Battery had remained relativley unchanged since 1981.  It is a park about 2 blocks long and 1 block wide-relativley small. It is encircled with cannons displaying the cover i like, and has 10 monuments/statues scattered around the park. There is a detailed thread on verse 6--the verse that we focused on for this P--check it out.

I'd be intersted to see an example with a line on only half of the mask in that shape.--All the examples ive found are so old and beat up there is little detail.--We are talking about the same line right? The one that starts on the right at Ft. Sumpter and makes a strange arc up the Charleston Peninsula?--I would really like to see an example of that design in an actual mask--that way i can leave it alone  😉

thanks for the tour around the park c3. as i stated before, i really like your connections of the lines of the V and the monuments you come across in same order walking through the park...but one thing concerns me.  Although the above mentioned matches fit....I can't help but notice that those monuments (or any other images in the park) match any shape to a tee (as in egg's find in Cleveland).  Maybe each P has different confirmers (not all exact matches)?  The only things in this P are SC-Charleston coastline in strange mask and the small mask similar to Ft. Sumter....other than that...? There is something I just noticed that maybe someone could blow up.  There appears to be [glow=red,2,300]something[/glow] below/behind the pear which extends down behind the flower.  Any ideas what this is?  Once we figure out what it is...maybe we are to look for a pair of them since they are behind a pear.

I received the Cleveland paper describing egg's find today and noticed the clues mentioned around P4 near the end of the article.  One that stood out was the flower above the bell = Bellflower Rd.  Now, is there anything like this in P2?  I was focusing on the small mask (Ft. S) and was trying to use the lines on the cheek along with the star on the cheek but could not come up with a Starline or Linestar nearby. Just something else to consider....

I am probably going to get flamed for this (especially from Cat) but here goes. Although the Charleston coast seems quite obvious on the large mask....there are so many other things in this P that keeps leading me back to NM.  sorry cat. 1.  also on the large mask a.  there seems to be an obvious letter outlining the left eye (n)...now going over both eyes could be an (m) = NM? b.  look at the lines extending down from the eyes of the mask.  I think they look very similar to the NM state flag : http://educationamerica.net/facts/flags/nm_flag_l.gif ...known as a Zia symbol. 2.  The smaller mask clock (yes...shaped as Ft Sumter) could also represent a style of a Hopi indian kachina mask.  These masks, interestingly enough have many types of symbols displayed on the cheeks: " Harold S. Colton (12) describes the five types of masks manufactured by the Hopi: [glow=red,2,300]a face mask made of leather[/glow], a half-mask for the upper half of the face; a circular mask; a spherical sack mask; and a helmet mask. This latter type, as the most characteristic kachina mask, is a cylinder formed from rawhide with a circular top piece sewn on to the top. The painting of each type is different and such various accessories as ears, noses, snouts and horns are attached. Most are ornamented with feather headresses. No attempt is made at realism when painting a mask that represents an animal or plant Kachina because the mask does not represent the object itself but the spirit of the object that is visualized as having a human form. Paint color is significant as it is symbolic and indicates the direction from which each Kachina came. Hence, Kachina masks painted yellow, green, red or white denote one of the Hopi six directions: a. [glow=red,2,300]Yellow refers to the North or Northwest[/glow]; b. [glow=red,2,300]Blue-green refers to the West or Southwest[/glow]; c. [glow=red,2,300]Red refers to the South or Southeast[/glow]; d. White refers to the East or Northeast; e. All the above colors taken together refer to the Zenith or (the direction) “up”; f. Black refers to the Nadir or (the direction) “down.” Furthermore, symbols serving as important distinguishing marks are often painted on the forehead or [glow=red,2,300]cheeks[/glow] of the mask. The principle symbols can be classified as: a. Animals and bird tracks; b. [glow=red,2,300]Celestial symbols [/glow]such as clouds, lightning, sun, moon, and [glow=red,2,300]stars[/glow]; c. Vegetable symbols: corn, flowers, cactus, etc.; d. A pair of vertical lines under the eyes represents the footprint of a warrior; e. An inverted “V” over the mouth indicates certain kachina officials; f. Phallic symbols represent fertility. " 3.  a pear in NM?  perhaps a prickly pear cactus?  http://www.davidpride.com/USA/NewMexico/NM_02.htm  note the coloration of the cactus flowers compared to the pear in the P. 4.  the tree limb in P is the Pinon Pine or the state tree of NM http://www.50states.com/tree/newmexico.htmnote , most pines have single needles while this pine contains double needles...which are very noticeable on the upper branch farthest to the left in P2.  Also, could the pear hanging on the pine = pair or double needles? I know Cat......I'm sorry, just had to air my thoughts.  Is there anyway NM ties into Charleston since that coastline is hard to dismiss? just more to bandy about......    :-X

Awesome thats all i can say.... never say die fox  😉

Where on the mask is the "is"? I see the "23" but it looks like a "73"...

Unknown: (deleted) Rob, why are you deleting all your posts?

over on the numbers/letters thread. Rob felt some numbers he spotted weren't taken seriously enough. I tried his email and it bounced. I think he's quit. Hopefully not.

me too...i meant no harm.

Hello to all.  I'm new at this, just getting into The Secret, but wanted to interject something if it would be alright. Consensus seems to be that the flower in the picture is a daisy, but when I saw it, the first thing in my mind was a dandelion blossom.  This would be the second lion reference (dent de lion -- "lion's tooth" in French) in the image, and it also occurred to me that the Masquerade pictures have lots of dandelions. Anyway, for what it's worth....

Thats really good Thats the kind of thing that if he didn't use it, he should have...

Lions....hmmmm.

Peeling a pear for the kids last night, I got to thinking about the pear in the image.  Everything else in the image has a coherent identity, but this is a willfully created hybrid, a pear growing on a pine tree (no relation).  As it was that deliberate, shouldn't it mean something? So I couldn't go to sleep without a reasonable answer, and this is what I came up with: 1.  With a nod to the previous NM theory, the tree is a pinon pine. 2.  The pear is a Bartlett. 3.  Therefore, this that we see is a Bartlett Pinon. 4.  Pinon can also be spelled pinyon (Webster's says so, and I needed a "y".) 5.  So now it's a Bartlett Pinyon. 6.  I'm not fond of anagrams, but you can make this into Battery Point Ln. 7.  Then I could go to sleep. Battery Point isn't exactly synonymous with White Point Gardens, but it's not far off, either.  A list of fortifications also shows a Battery Point on James Island.  I haven't yet found its exact site on the island, but it must face the harbor and is likely visible from White Point Gardens.

Me likes anagrams  🙂

Under Internet Resources, I posted a good website for decoding anagrams: http://www.ssynth.co.uk/~gay/anagram.html have a good time with it cthree. wilhouse

Hey folks, just wanted to post 2 possibilities for this image: I believe it's a possibility that this P represents Boston. Both of these aerial views resembles the mask above the fairy. http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image. ... d%20States http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/map_item. ... eye+view+o f+Boston,+United+States.+T.+Sulman,+del.&style=citymap&legend= One last thing, the baseball home plate. It has the look of a monster. Could this be a reference to Fenway Park, home of the 'green monster'? Also, for some reason I have the urge to associate Verse 9 with this P. The first chapter written in water Perhaps a reference to the Boston Tea Party, which was the start (first chapter) of the American Revolution. Lion perhaps symbolizes King George III? The 'birthmark' on the head of the Lion sort of resembles England. Pear - America's oldest pear tree happens to be the Endicott Pear Tree which was planted in 1852 and actually still stands, although it's located in Danvers which is about 30-60 minutes north of Boston. http://www.ars-grin.gov/ars/PacWest/Cor ... .pear.html I admit, it might be far fetched after you all have already made many more connections with other cities than me but all possibilities are open until it's solved.

Unknown: I admit, it might be far fetched after you all have already made many more connections with other cities than me but all possibilities are open until it's solved. Thanks for your input--you've got the right idea ;]

I have to add this because it seems the most obvious thing to me in the whole picture....glasses. Does anyone else see the eyeglasses on the far right above the fairy wing and next to the mask? They jump out at me and I don't think I'm out on a limb with this one. "out on a limb" hmm, check that out too.

I've noticed it too.  It could be rope hanging from a horizontal pole, but it is still in the shape of glasses.

I've been reading this and thought of something.  The state fruit of south carolina is the peach.  But it wasn't the peach until 1984.  The secret was published in 1982,  2 years before the state fruit was changed to the peach.  the state fruit before that might have been the pear, and then we would know for sure that the casque was in charleston.  so far i havent been able to find out what the state fruit was in 1982 but i'll keep trying.

I don't believe it had a state fruit prior to 1984!! Ain't that a peach? wilhouse

that sure is the Pits wilhouse...

33 79/80 is the latitude and longitude of Charleston SC. There are lots of posts i know but if you read them a bit it explained. I like your idea on the poet but it seems kind of unrelated. is there anything connecting her to SC? Also if you could make an image of the ship you see above pear that would be awesome. Im trying hard to see it but have no frame of reference. Good to have you!  🙂

The clock seems to most obviously be pointing us towards Ft. Sumter.  The casque may be nowhere near the fort but we believe this is what got us in the general vacinity of SC.

A couple of thoughts -- I believe the 'pine' limbs are actually cypress (do a google image search on 'cypress leaf').  The cone of the cypress tree is pear-shaped (though not as nicely as the pear in the picture).  There is also a bush called a cypress-daisy (I don't know what it looks like). Where is this leading?  Cypress Gardens is just outside Charleston.  It also has a butterfly house (though it was added in the 90's).

Intersting finds.  The fairy's hair has been bugging me, and I recently found this: It's the gate outside the Miles Brewton House at 27 King St (about 2 blocks north of WPG).  google the house to read about the history, and it could definitely tie in. - Jambone

I don't know if it is related or just a weird coincidence, but this sandbar just south of Charleston looks a lot like the fairy's wings.

Has anyone seen this?  Located just a tad northeast of Charleston.  It's an ariel shot with # 80 just sitting there.  I believe it's Bull Island in SC. http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image. ... Y=9105&W=1 The shape looks like Charleston.

Okay, here's a summary and some new thoughts to go along with the Charleston picture. The pentagon mask is a clear reference to Fort Sumter, given the map of Charleston on the mask, as Egbert pointed out. The latitude and longitude add confirmation. The African connection certainly has to do with the city's history of slavery. People have already noted the numbers in the lion's mane: 79, 80, 33, and 36. The first three refer to latitude and longitude, but what is the 36? Is it 36? Johann notes a possible 45 on the right side as well. Johann also notes that there is also what appears to be a cross in the lower left portion of the mane: Why a lion? Egbert speculates King Street as a reason (king of the jungle), but I am hesitant to accept that. SoonerFan notes that there are lion symbols all over town. I suspect this is so because Charleston was named for King Charles II of England, whose coat of arms was covered with lions. Here's a thought: given that we know the upper mask has a map on it, do we really need more maps? It looks as if several parts of this picture may be maps: (1) the trail of mist at the girl's feet resembles a river with islets, but nothing in the Charleston area exactly matches the pattern. There is a section of the Wando River north of Charleston that resembles it, but it isn't exact (and would have to be reversed anyway); (2) the birthmark on the lion's forehead looks like a map of some sort; (3) the lion's "hairline" (for lack of a better term) seems very regular, and not at all like a hairline ought to. It may represent a coast or shoreline; (4) the white portions on the girl's wings could be shorelines; (5) the pattern of twigs in the conifer looks like a road map. If any of these are not maps, what could they be? The twig pattern: There is a little 'n' or 'h' on the upper mask, formed by the nose and eye (a few people pointed this out).

The pear, the daisy, and the conifer may constitute a rebus as in P10 (mill+walk+key) and P4 (bell+flower) (but if it is a rebus, it doesn't spell out South Carolina or Charleston. I think the map on the upper mask is the only clue to the city). Now I'm no botanist, but the tree in question may be a bald cypress. Is anyone here wise in the ways of conifers? I need to visit the book store anyway; maybe I'll take a printout of our mystery tree with me and consult the Audubon guide while I'm there. As for the pear, think "pair of..." or "pair on" = "peron," etc. Egbert notes the Silas Pearman Bridge exits Charleston to the east. The upper mask's eyes are reminiscent of coin slots, the kind you might find on parking meters or viewfinders. Does White Point Gardens / Battery Park have viewfinders so that tourists can look out at Fort Sumter? Do the coin slots look like the mask's eyes, by any chance? The girl's hairdo looks suggestive of... something. If it's not hair, what could it be? She is surrounded by that weird blue nimbus that can be found in 10 of the 12 images. Jambone's idea of the Miles Brewton House gate may be true. Some have asked what the "thing" behind/under the pear might be. The first thing that leapt to my mind was the gigantic Gaffney peach, a watertower built in 1981 in Gaffney, SC in the shape of a peach. It's right by the interstate. The support column under the peach looks kinda like the thing under the pear: The "glasses" on the right side must mean something, otherwise they wouldn't be there. They might turn out to match a wrought-iron design near the casque. bclews pointed out this sandbar to the south of Charleston. Note the resemblance to the butterfly wings in the picture. Also note the change that occurred in less than a year. Imagine how much this sandbar must have changed in 20+ years. Could this be the same thing? New picture from Google is on the left:

I am now even more sure that the tree in Image 2 is a bald cypress. I made a trip to Borders Books today and looked up southeastern conifers. Realistic contenders were some species of yew, fir, spruce, cypress, and hemlock, but only bald cypress had main stems with no needles. All the others had needles even on the thick stems. Given the location (SC), I would say it's definitely bald cypress.

Has anyone ever come across Christ Church College in England during their research for The Secret?  I have and I came across Lewis Carroll"s Alice in Wonderland and The Looking Glass.  Does anyone else see what I see, Alice taking a bite from the mushroom?  Just something way out there.

hey boogie....your links dont work.  would love to see what you found

I don't know why my images keep disappearing, getting quite annoyed.  Anyway, I had mentioned Alice in Wonderland, (I know it's way out there), I tried to show how the upper right wing of the tree angel looks just like a naked statue at Brookgreen Gardens. Links below.  I noticed that the long. and lat. of Charleston is 79 and 32.  At Brookgreen, it's 79+33(lion's hair).  Then I found an old story about a girl named Alice, from the Brookgreen Plantation.  Link just below.  I'm starting to think that everything in the entire world is just a coincidence. http://www.icw-net.com/tales/gtalice.htm http://f4.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/0N7vQoRXBu ... kgreen.jpg http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/0N7vQlWlv9 ... 2-lion.jpg

Another "Alice" reference. http://www.litchfieldplantation.com/litind.htm

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/arm ... ing/files/ All images are on this page.  Some of you are members of this group, some will have to join.  Don't know why my pics keep disappearing.  Look under paddyjoecash.

THE SECRET: HOW TO PASS THE DEAD OF NIGHT IN CHARLESTON  ||  cedarCell, Dept. of Investigative TreasureHunting || SUMMARY || In July 2005, I was in the Charleston area and was able to pursue some of the ideas about The Secret, based on information from Pine Tree and C3.  Along with a TreasureHunt accomplice, EZ, we patrolled the park for clues well past 2am.  Several digital photos were taken during the day and can be accessed at http://community.webshots.com/user/cedarcell Many of my photos replicate some of C3's pictures, but I tried to leave constructive comments in the hopes that between C3’s pictures and those of my own, someone could find something of use.    Based on my findings, I have provided some additional information to combine with C3 and Pine Tree’s respective findings, particularly as related to the geometric shape depicted somewhat hazily in the African mask painting in The Secret. Much of this Hunt was conducted under the assumption that the “arch theory” of other parts of the Secret would hold true in Charleston (see Background section, below).  In adhering stringently to this theory, several “good” possibilities were ruled out on this Hunt.  Someone may wish to re-examine some of the avenues ruled out if the opportunity should so arise. || Brief Background on Sources || The observations made were based on the "African" painting from The Secret (image2 in the Q4T files).  Several observations which, with high probability, confirm the location as being Charleston are found elsewhere in this thread on the Q4T site. Following the precedent that clues to the locations of the casques appear under arches drawn into the paintings, our "target" was the geometric shape seen underneath the arch of the eye of the African mask. As there can be multiple approaches to solving this Secret site, I approached it with the assumption that the casque location had to fit the “Arch” theory of the painting.  Findings not fitting the arch theory were ruled out below. Every effort was made to not be redundant with C3’s existing findings, documented in this thread, but some obvious overlaps were nonetheless mentioned for the sake of completeness for this trip report. || A Bird’s Eye View || The ambiguous shape appears to be a hexagon with a rectangular slit in the middle of it.  Directly below it is a blade-shaped outline with three vertical rectangles side-by-side. If the hexagonal shape is taken to be a bird's eye view of a monument, then in three-dimensions, one would be looking for a rectangular slab shaped monument with a hexagonal base.  There are several monuments throughout White Point Gardens, located at the tip of Charleston, which come close, but none which replicate the shape exactly. Many of the monuments are octagonal in shape and as of this past visit, none were found with a hexagonal base. With regards to the rectangular slab, or tablets, there are three in the park:  a monument to sunken submarines, the Hunley ship memorial, and the "Pirate Tablet," described in detail by C3. The submarine tablet does not have a base.  The Hunley tablet, which Pine Tree and I judged to be a likely candidate from C3’s pictures, has a base, but one which is oval-shaped and not hexagonal.  The Pirate tablet has at its feet (see pictures) what appears to be the remnants of a base, but there is no way of knowing what it used to be.  In reviving this hunt two decades after its initial inception, entropy (and re-zoning and tourism) greatly place us at a disadvantage in the present day. || “..between two arms extended..” || This line of the Verses was investigated in much detail by C3.  Two ways to consider this line of the poem: 1) Literal “arms” – As C3 points out, there are two statues, each with one arm outstretched towards the sea.  There is indeed an obvious middle point between the two arms located in the park, which is manifested in a grassy area with exposed earth and sand.  However, if desiring to keep with the “Arch” theory, the trail goes cold here. 2) Military “arms” – A commemorative site for the wartime activities surrounding Charleston’s history, the park is bordered by several different types of cannon, of which those that are able, are fully extended into the sea (refer to cannon pictures).  There are several opportunities of burying a casque between the individual cannon locations. || “..below the bar that binds…” || 1) The Former Gate Theory – There are two stone posts located on the street-side of the Hunley tablet.  These are the only posts in the entire gardens proper.  (As an aside, similar posts appear singularly on the median on the river/sea side (south side) of the gardens).  The two posts are slotted in between.  Pine Tree has suggested that these slots could have possibly been, two decades ago, a place for a gate of some sort.  Beneath the location of the hypothetical gate, however, nothing fitting the arch theory was found. 2) Gazebo Gates – Underneath the octagonal gazebo---the centerpiece to the entirety of the gardens, is a metal gate which appears to lead into the mechanical/electrical area (see photos).  I searched the gate for specifics relating to the arch theory, but none were found. 3) Cannon Struts – This seemed the most likely of all the “bars,” and closely satisfies the arch theory.  The cannon located throughout the entire gardens are filled with bolts: hexagonal bolts.  These bolts hold various support structures of the cannon together.  In several photos, I show the area beneath the cannon.  The cannon are built upon brick foundations.  However, there are loose spots of sand directly beneath the cannon which are not bricked at all.  Upon closer inspection, one will notice that there are metal truss-like structures welded together, suggesting an almost “X” shape which lies directly above the sandy, un-bricked areas.  In all of the park, the only item I found that was hexagonal were the bolts on the cannon.  So, in a sense, a portion of the arch theory is satisfied.  What is not satisfied, however, is the shape drawn underneath the hexagon, mentioned below in the “Bending Blade” section. ||”..beside the long palm’s shadow…”|| As C3 points out, palmetto trees line the entire park.  Some are indeed taller than others, but with 20 years behind us, it is difficult to discern one tree from another.  In continuing with the word play, areas where literal “palms” from the statue’s arms could cast a shadow were investigated, but again, none which adhere to the arch theory. || “..white house close at hand..”  || More hand/palm imagery here.  The north end of White Point Gardens is bordered by a residential street, lined with palmetto trees.  Pine Tree suggested checking out specific white houses, as did C3.  I came up with the same conclusions---nearly every house on the street is painted white (who knows what color they were 20 years ago…).  I’ve included pictures taken from the Hunley tablet, which, along with the Pirate tablet, are the only two monuments of that type near any white houses, if the term is to be taken literally. || How to Stretch a Hexagon || EZ made this observation.  At the eastern end of the gardens, there is a seawall of sorts.  Here, tourists can climb a flight of stairs to get to the top of the seawall/walkway to get a better view of the waterfront.  EZ noticed that the stairs leading up to the seawall are half a hexagon.  There are three or four “sets” of these types of stairways along the seawall.  Following the shape in the arch theory, the rectangular portion is represented on the staircases by a large metal grate.  Also, there are metal hand-rails along the seawall and along the stairs themselves.  While it fit one portion of the arch theory, we weren’t convinced that the bottom half of the arch-theory (see the Bending Blade section below) was sufficiently met. || The Three Paths  || In referring to the shape underneath the African mask eye/ arch, the bottom portion of the shape has three vertical, parallel rectangles spaced along the base of the hexagon.  There were three observations in the gardens made by EZ and myself with regards to possible candidates: 1) There are three paved paths which run parallel to one another along the width of the park.  All the monuments mentioned are found along one of the three paths.  From an aerial view, the arch shape is a good fit for the three paths in the park. 2) The benches in the park are all backed with three parallel boards (See picture). Their shadows cast the same shape (goes without saying, perhaps..haha).  However, throw in the time element of twenty years, and there’s no telling what benches were in the Gardens two decades ago. 3) Some but not all of the lamp posts in the gardens have grooved posts, whose patterns resemble the three rectangles, but they all number more than three and in the areas where said lamp posts are located, the other criteria of the arch theory could not be met (based on mine and EZ’s observations). || The Path of the Bending Blade  || Continuing along the idea that the arch theory shape is an aerial view of the park (see Three Paths section, above)  the curve of the path also matches well with the driving route around the gardens.  The ‘Curve” of the blade-looking path is best represented on the west-end of the park, where a hotel/commercial building stands.  The “blade” part is the road which loops just past its entrance. || Castle Pinckney || Another one of EZ’s observations.  From any map of the Charleston/Charleston Harbor area, there is an island called Shutes Folly in Charleston Harbor, which is accessible by tour boat. The island lies near the intersection of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers (again, referencing C3’s idea of the rivers being the “two arms extended” in Verse 6).  There are ample opportunities for continued exploration there, which were not undertaken on this trip.  It fits well on two other lines from the poem.  The ‘long palm’s shadow’ could be a reference to the nearby Isle of Palm resort island.  Also ‘bar that binds’ could be referring to one of the many sandbars in the harbor leading towards Shutes Folly.  On Shutes Folly is Castle Pinckney, a Civil War era prison which may add to the opportunities of pursuing the arch theory. ||  REMARKS  || Nighttime in Charleston is relatively safe compared to other touristy towns.  The time EZ and I were at the Gardens was a Saturday night, a time when the park is relatively quiet.  Most other people we saw there were couples or high-school aged folks hanging out by the seawall.  Follow common sense and use the buddy system should you also end up in here in the wee hours of the night.  For those interested in giving the Charleston casque a try, I’d suggest going in the day to scope the place out and then return at night when it’s quieter (and cooler). The long street perpendicular to the park on the gardens’ east side is East Bay Street, a popular thoroughfare.  It’s pretty quiet for about three or four blocks, then you run into the Market area of town, where a lot of weekend hot spots are, so you’ll always be a few blocks away from crowds of people.  Police are also visibly present every block or so. If you need some time to clear your head, there’s an independent coffeehouse called Moose Mountain which is a great stop for a caffeine boost.  There’s a sushi place along the way, too, Typhoon, which in my opinion, is forgettable. Be safe and good luck. || cedarCell ||

In case it turns out to be relevant, here is yet another satellite image of bclews' sandbar a few miles SW of Charleston. Note the resemblance to the fairy's wings. Also note how much erosion has occurred since the last photos were posted. I wonder what it looked like in 1982? Worth pursuing?

Can we speculate on what the markings on the lower mask might represent? If the colors red, white, and blue are significant, what could they represent? The U.S.A.? That's hardly helpful. The colors occur in that order on the flag of the Netherlands, though. Could that tie in? And what about the star?

Perhaps this pic can be connected to verse 5.  I will post some info there too.  Hampton Park, near The Citadel, had a lion that could be heard roaring from The Citadel.

I don't know if the colours on my monitor are right, but I see the three stripes on the Fort Sumter-shaped mask as being red, yellow, and green. I looked around a little bit to find West African (Slave Coast) countries' flags and I found these: Burkina Faso: Ghana: Senegal: Togo: The three stripes, the star on the right... might this be a reference to a flag?

In my copy of The Secret , the stripe and star appear much more white than yellow, but it could just be the lighting here.

Anybody notice these two shovels in image2 and 3?  Very closely positioned to #'s in the images. http://www.freewebs.com/patcash/shovels.htm

I'm going to try to post these here. Most of P2 is a map. I've been playing around with Google Earth.  Fun! If the pictures don't post here correctly, check it out at: http://community.webshots.com/user/stercox (Under V2 which should really read P2 sorry)

Patriot's Point has a huge golf course.  Its hard to guess if its the possible dig site or just a marker on the map and the site is further east?  (or where the site really is at all or what the map means or where its leading...) The one fully visiible eye on the large African mask could be a golf club head??

Nice job.  I think we've put it all together now.  We just have to find the right park, and the right verse.

If the cypress stem is a map, which I am inclined to believe, how does it advance the search? We already had enough information to tell this was in Charleston from the harbor map on the mask. Is there something about the map that narrows it down? If stercox is correct about the map, then following it far enough would lead to Sullivan's Island, which has four very big points in its favor. 1. Sullivan's Island has beaches which, when viewed from above, remind one of the edges of our butterfly's wings. 2. It is very close to Charleston, which we know P2 leads us to. 3. As fox noted recently, "Sullivan’s Island, a tiny quarantine station in Charleston harbor, became the Ellis Island of black America.  Thousands of slaves taken from Africa and shipped to America landed here between 1619 and 1808." 4. (and this is my favorite...) Sullivan's Island is where Edgar Allen Poe's famous treasure-hunting story The Gold Bug was set -- and where the treasure was found to be buried. What better place??

And Sullivan's Island has the fort that pre-dated Sumter as it was being built:  Fort Moultrie. The only way into Sullivan's Island is via Ben Sawyer Way... but the military designation is Station 22 1/2. Could this be our: Lane Two Twenty two  ? Or more descriptively... Two Lane Road - Twenty Two.

As a followup to my last post connecting the verse to the image... take a look at the towns homepage (and the historic photos used as its header) http://www.sullivansisland-sc.com The last photo on the right.... unlabled but.... "Beneath the only standing member of a forest to the South" hmm.....

More confirmation of the connection.... http://www.funbeaches.com/Sullivan's-Island.html "Weight and roots extended" "Together saved the site" The defeat of the British due to the plentiful Palmetto Tree.  Recognized on the state seal and flag. Now, seems like a single standing member of a forest. Remember to get permission to dig out. Are we having fun yet?

"Weight and roots extended Together saved the site" Wikipedia, on Fort Moultrie: "The fort was unnamed and not yet complete when Admiral Sir Peter Parker and nine British warships attacked it on June 28, 1776, near the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. Legend has it that the soft palmetto logs did not crack under bombardment but rather absorbed the shot ; in any case, Charleston was saved from capture, and the fort was named for the commander in the battle, William Moultrie." "Of granite walls" Wikipedia, on Fort Sumter: " Seventy thousand tons of granite were imported from New England to build up a sand bar in the entrance to Charleston harbor, which the site dominates." Fort Moultrie is a unit of Fort Sumter National Monument.

NOoooo!  Say it ain't so!  At this point, it's possible.  Ouch

Sulivan's Island's lighthouse ( "Citadel in the night" ?) is kind of famous. Built in 1962, it's known for being: - Just down the street from Fort Moultrie; - One of the most modern lighthouses in the US, perhaps the most powerful; - Being the only lighthouse using an elevator to take Coast Guard personnel to the lantern room for maintenance ( "a wingless bird ascended" ?) The "arc of light" in the verse may be referring to the lighthouse; you would certainly see it, the light being visible from 26 miles out to sea. Also, there seems to be a forest/bunch of trees south of it; the lighthouse could very well be "the only standing member of a forest (to the south)" .

If anyone can see more than I, more power to you, but I can not fathom how to get closer than this without being there. A tree and a white stone... where's waldo?

And...

The cross in the lion's mane:

Why is this an arc of lights ? I don't get it. The arc has to be key, here, the thing that makes you go "ahh, now I get it." I don't get that from the lighthouse.

Actually, in this spot, there are three lighthouses that work in tandom... the one highlighted here, is the most modern and the one at the Fort. I believe, drving down Station 22, the three of them form a spread of lights in front of you. I am using the mathematical image of arc as meaning a space connecting points...

Since the main clue to its location comes from a map would the light not arc from above? I have been watching this for awhile but never had anything constructive to say.....but this really gets the juices flowing

Heh heh. Makes me wonder how many lurkers we have! Here's another idea. What is an "arc light," and do lighthouses make use of them? Alternatively, it's possible that BP is using another of his plays on words here -- like "cast in copper" or "pass the compass" -- that should not be interpreted literally. This is a riddle, after all. Try to think of interpretations of arc of lights that do not involve actual arcs of lights. And welcome, mobhit!

I did a little hunting on that sandbank that so resembles our butterfly's wings. To remind you, it's just south of Charleston at the mouth of the North Edisto River: Turns out it's called Deveaux Bank: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/managed/heritage/deveauxbnk/description.html It sank beneath the waves in 1980, but soon rose again and now supports all sorts of wildlife. I have contacted Clemson's library asking where I can find 1980's-era satellite photos.

Unknown: "Weight and roots extended"  "Together saved the site"  The defeat of the British due to the plentiful Palmetto Tree. I agree with you guys, one of the historical researches I did discusses that Fort Moultrie was defended not just with Palmetto logs (roots extended) but also sand and sand bags (weight).  Looking at pictures of the fort it fits our granite walls and windswept halls as well with the tunnels and chambers that it has.  I'm liking V5 for P2.  A little further research and FYI--the Pearman bridge no longer exists--it was blown up in 2005 and replaced with Ravenel Bridge.  Lane two twenty two and the arc of lights--could this be at a distance viewed across the water from the island?  Also the lighthouse is a strong contender for arcing lights and is a prominent landmark.  This seems like a hot prospect--nice work everybody. Now to find the bird...

No one specfic tree left from a forest to the South. Seems as if you would have to find an original one as opposed to one replanted for landscaping. May take a lot of holes if not scouted properly. May be a job for Pine Tree

forest_blight wrote:: Why is this an arc of lights ? I don't get it. The arc has to be key, here, the thing that makes you go "ahh, now I get it." I don't get that from the lighthouse. One could say that the beam of light from the tower sweeps across an arc path.  (That, or they use arc lighting, like arc welding?) Hmm, but that would be an "arc of light" not lights.  nevermind.

The lighthouse is automatically run now. It is on both day and night.

I must agree with FB here.  I really dont think our "arc of light" is the lighthouse....too obscure.  Think it will be a little more obvious than that....not kick in the butt obvious, just a little more obvious.

Got to love the internet... who knew that coming into Sullivan's Island, on Station 22 1/2 you crossed a draw bridge... wouldn't this be an arc of lights (if it is an old draw bridge with the metal over hangs for the road supports) http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tips/get ... onNo==1159 Also some photos at the Fort

Not content with Chicago, Milwaukee, and Montreal, I will also be in Charleston later this month (!). So if there is any detail anyone wants me to check out while I'm down there, or take pictures of, I'm on it.

Unknown: So if there is any detail anyone wants me to check out while I'm down there, or take pictures of, I'm on it. Unknown: who knew that coming into Sullivan's Island, on Station 22 1/2 you crossed a draw bridge... wouldn't this be an arc of lights (if it is an old draw bridge with the metal over hangs for the road supports) Sullivan's Island is a hot prospect--but I'm sure that's on your agenda.  Please make sure you start that journey back in Charleston proper, off of Rt 26.  One of my old maps lists exit numbers and the exit off of 26 at the old Grace Memorial/Pearman bridges is 221.  Very close to the Lane Two twenty two , there may another exit sign on that route as you cross and get on Rt 703. I know some people like the Station numbers better. Just a thought. I thought I saw a picture of this bridge on one of my searches and its a rotating type bridge, not a classic draw bridge.  But you could find out... Please check out all the way west of Fort Moultrie to the end of the island looking for the wingless bird .  That is if you don't find it near the fort. [V5 feels like a follow-the-trail-directions to me--very much like Milwaukee's--see the arc of lights (lighthouse?????)--next see the Fort---next see the bird--next find the tree and white stone--next dig] Seems we may be moving westward--how far, don't know.] Pictures would be great.  Visiting the suspected sites are a must, you can't get the same details from an armchair.  Will you also be checking out Ronoake again this summer?

I do hope to go to Roanoke again this summer, time permitting. I will try my best to take your suggestions, even though I'm a bigger fan of V6 for this Image.

A few more obsevations for image2: 79,33,80,45,36 (or 43,56)... SAVE ...Frankenstein, when viewed upside down. edit: caterpillars under eyes, atleast the lion's right eye.

Forest Blight-- You might want to consider checking out the park near The Citadel.

Boogieman, Please check out http://thesecret.pbwiki.com/2_map because the area you have marked as Frankenstein is pretty clearly a map of Charleston. Thanks, AnotherDoth

Thanks Doth, I should have explained that as well as Charleston, the map looks to show the distinct profile of Mr. Frankenstein when viewed upside down.  Not only that, but the initials for South Carolina are there too. edit: What does it all mean?  I have no idea!

Following up on the tie in to the verse as a journey motif... note the following history and current layout... The first fort on Sullivans Island was still incomplete when Adm. Sir Peter Parker and nine warships attacked it on June 28, 1776. After a nine-hour battle, the ships were forced to retire. Charleston was saved from British occupation, and the fort was named in honor of its commander, William Moultrie. In 1780 the British finally captured Charleston, abandoning it only on the advent of peace. After the Revolution, Fort Moultrie was neglected, and by 1791 little of it remained. Then, in 1793, war broke out between England and France. The next year Congress, seeking to safeguard American shores, authorized the first system on nationwide coastal fortifications. A second Fort Moultrie, one of 20 new forts along the Atlantic coast, was completed in 1798. It too suffered from neglect and was finally destroyed by a hurricane in 1804. By 1807 many of the other First System fortifications were in need of extensive repair. Congress responded by authorizing funds for a Second System, which included a third Fort Moultrie. By 1809 a new brick fort stood on Sullivans Island. Between 1809 and 1860 Fort Moultrie changed little. The parapet was altered and the armament modernized, but the big improvement in Charleston’s defenses during this period was the construction of Fort Sumter at the entrance of the harbor. The forts ringing Charleston Harbor – Moultrie, Sumter, Johnson, and Castle Pinckney – were meant to complement each other, but ironically received their baptism of fire as opponents. In December 1860 South Carolina seceded from the Union, and the Federal garrison abandoned Fort Moultrie for the stronger Sumter. Three and a half months later, Confederate troops shelled Sumter into submission, plunging the nation into civil war. In April 1863, Federal iron-clads and shore batteries began a 20-month bombardment of Sumter and Moultrie, yet Charleston’s defenses held. When the Confederate army evacuated the city in February 1865, Fort Sumter was little more than a pile of rubble and Fort Moultrie lay hidden under the band of sand that protected its walls from Federal shells. The new rifled cannon used during the Civil War had demolished the brick-walled fortifications. Fort Moultrie was modernized in the 1870s, employing concepts developed during the war. Huge new cannon were installed, and magazines and bombproofs were built of thick concrete, then buried under tons of earth to absorb the explosion of heavy shells. In 1885, President Grover Cleveland appointed Secretary of War William C. Endicott to head a board to review the coastal defenses in light of newly developing weapons technology. The system that emerged, named for Endicott, again modernized the nation’s fortifications. New batteries of concrete and steel were constructed in Fort Moultrie. Larger weapons were emplaced elsewhere on Sullivans Island, and the old fort became just a small part of the Fort Moultrie reservation that covered much of the island. As technology changed, harbor defense became more complex. The world wars brought new threats of submarine and aerial attack and required new means of defense at Moultrie. Yet these armaments also became obsolete as nuclear weapons and guided missiles altered the entire concept of national defense. Today Fort Moultrie has been restored to portray the major periods of its history. A visitor to the fort moves steadily backwards in time from the World War II Harbor Entrance Control Post to the site of the Palmetto-log fort of 1776.

Hi all, This is my first post here at quest4treasure.  My name is Mike and I'm from Norther New Jersey, very close to New York City.  I first learned about Armchair Treasure hunting from the local paper in an article I read, cut out, and nearly forgot about two years ago about Egberts success in Cleavland.  Two years later and I've dusted the article off, purchased a copy of the book from amazon (which has yet to arrive) and starting doing a little more than nothing. Since I thought it a waste to have my first post without attempting something insightful...here is my two cents for today. I agree with those of you who think that Image 2 and Verse 5 go together...in keeping with that line of thought "A wingless bird ascended Born of ancient dreams of flight" reminds me a helicopter...just like the AH-1 Cobra Helicopter that sits on the parade ground park on the campus of The Citadel. I, like most of you, agree that its too obvious for the poem to mention 'citadel' and have it actually be there, but an interesting tid bit none-the-less Looking forward to helping the search -Mike [in hindsight i realize that this post is more about the verse than the picture, ill chalk it up to being a rookie...that and everyone in the Verse 5 thread thinks it's NY and I don't want to ruffle their feathers just yet]

Regarding the lion (a.k.a. the king of the jungle), King St. goes smack down the center of Charleston and ends up at White Point Gardens. This would be consistent with BP's other clever uses of road names. Aside: If I2 goes with V2, it is interesting that Meeting St. ("The namesakes meeting / Near this site") also terminates at White Point Gardens.

I have a theory that I have been working with but like everything, no concrete confirmers.... While the images all relate to their single related verse and burial site, there exists a piece of the image that connects it to another site so that an order can be obtained (linking one site to the next) examples...  The Lion in this Image (mostly sure that it firmly connects to the Charlestown area - and more or less to Sullivan's Island) connects this buried casque to the one located in Lake Park Milwaukee (with the Lion matching up with the Lion Bridge) another example - Image Six (believing that this relates to a site in Florida - yet to be confirmed) has an Island with a Palm (lower right) - which connects to this (Image 2) burial site as that Palm Island is a location on the indicated route from Pear Bridge to Sullivan's Island. I have a rough outline with a chain of eight - it helps to make educated guesses on BP's overall plan.  (Still and maybe always, unconfirmable)

Trohn, I agree with your linking here.  I too have been noticing A LOT of "same things" in different pix.  I dont have my notes with me but if I remember some, I will toss them out.

fox wrote:: Trohn, I agree with your linking here.  I too have been noticing A LOT of "same things" in different pix.  I dont have my notes with me but if I remember some, I will toss them out. Weren't Thucy and Xeno (currently linked to Boston) also at the Cleveland location?

bclews wrote:: Weren't Thucy and Xeno (currently linked to Boston) also at the Cleveland location? Yes they were.  The lion face is also the one in the fountain in the Cleveland pic.  If an order to things does exist, it may coincide with the the birth months, actually, or the number of each verse.  Also, BP had stated that as he recalls, there was a clock painted on the inside cover of each casque, showing a different time, but he did not recall the significance.  Our Chicago finders, if we can ever get in contact with them, may be able to tell us what is under the cover.  Mine is in too many pieces to tell.  It is a painting of some sort.  Also, I have to apologize for not getting in touch with John Jude Palencar.  I will attempt to do that very soon.

Eg - can you supply a photograph or two of your casque fragments? Regarding Image 2, does anyone see the letters "hwy" in the top left of our lion's mane? Another possible lead: Cypress Gardens, 24 miles north of Charleston, SC, at 3030 Cypress Gardens Rd. Moncks Corner, SC: http://www.cypressgardens.org/ This attraction has cypress (obviously), a butterfly house, a reptile center, and a really big stone cross (like the one in our lion's mane?): http://www.pbase.com/kluken/image/46782822 Perhaps this place is worth looking into.

Other plantations in the area that may be of interest include  Middleton Place Plantation Gardens (which have lakes in the shape of a butterfly, cypress forests and an African American Tour).  In fact, the gardens were built on the backs of slaves.  Also Boone Hall Plantation which have gardens laid out in the shape of butterfly wings.  I EM this place a long time ago to see when the gardens were constructed, done in 1936.  The person who EM'd back said that they could either be a butterfly shape or a spider--are we back in ATT again? Anyway, these may be of nominal interest if you happen to be in the area or have the time when you go to Charleston FB.

Middleton Place I encountered in my search, but not Boone Hall - I will check into that. It will be difficult to fit in very many stops, as we will be visiting Charleston and Savannah all in a two-day stretch. Hard to do even when you're not looking for buried treasure!

Boone Hall also has butterfly-shaped lakes. At least, they say they do - I can't see them from satellite images.

I think every hair in that lion's mane that doesn't follow the pattern of pointing outwardly, has a significant purpose to this puzzle.  I see an anchor and a pirate ship just above the pear tree.  I see an odd looking soldiers helmut just below the ear on the left side of the image with a right face profile.  I see the hwy with the backwards y above that ear.  I see three leaves specifically placed.  One just touching the 9 of our 79.  Another just touching the 4 and 5 just above the Charleston map.  The other is in the ship, just touching the anchor.  They have always bothered me and I'm not sure everyone will see them. I see that the lion's right ear looks like an ape or something smiling at whatever is going on on the forehead.  Looks like an explosion coming up from between the eyes.  The left ear looks like some kind of fairy with wings laughing at the same scene from the other side.  The eye's, one has a caterpillar under it and the other a seahorse.  Now here's a funny one that I don't think I should mention on this board for fear that I would sound like an idiot, (why hold back now) but here goes...  The bottom wings of the butterfly, when turned upside down has Alice eating from the mushroom, bigger on one side, then smaller on the other.  Notice the large A's in there.  You may need a real vivid imagination for that one.  Let me go a little further on this, I feel, and I cannot explain why because there is just not enough space here, that Alice, the Wonderland, and the Looking Glass have something to do with all the images. Maybe I should be smoking the Hookah and nibbling on the shrooms

I think the lion will be seen when then proper location is found.... A Walking Tour of Historic Charleston, South Carolina -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Article by Carole Terrell Charleston is one of the best walking cities in the U.S. and a good place to begin your walk is Charleston’s Waterfront Park. The waves slap gently against the boardwalk while locals and visitors alike enjoy swinging in oversized porch swings and strolling through the breezy park. People can be seen all around the park relaxing on benches, reading books while lying in the cool grass, walking and playing with their dogs, or going for their daily jog. Cruise ships and naval vessels often dock nearby and there is plenty of fishing to be done off the small pier. Telescopes are available in order to gain a closer look at wildlife and catch a glimpse of Patriot’s Point across the harbor, where out of service naval vessels are available for touring. Waterfront Park holds a fountain that sprays water in multiple directions and the public is welcome to run through the water and the spray of the fountain. Perfect for those humid summer days! The pineapple is the Southern symbol for hospitality and a pineapple-shaped fountain rests in the middle of the park, inviting walkers to soak their feet a few moments prior to venturing further into town to explore more opportunities. Heading east out of Waterfront Park will lead you to the Battery at the tip of the peninsula, where ships with tall masts and sails once docked and Civil War cannons proudly stood, facing the harbor and the Atlantic Ocean. There seems to be a constant, steady breeze floating across the Battery, palm trees rustling in the wind and myriad boats sailing and racing across the harbor. This is one of the most relaxing and rejuvenating spots in the town, where you can take the time to be still in a busy world, breathe deeply, let the wind run its fingers through your hair and just lose yourself for a while in the sights and sounds of the harbor and the smell of the salty sea air. Adjoining the Battery is White Point Gardens, a large grassy area shaded by massive oaks and fringed with cannons, monuments, and historical statues. Pigeons and seagulls often fly into the shaded park to eat and rest their wings. In the middle of the park is a large white gazebo and it isn’t uncommon to come across a wedding in progress or a string quartet playing in the gazebo.  Horse and buggies roll around the Battery and the park off and on all day, giving visitors a glimpse of the past, as do the grand old mansions lining the Battery. From White Point Gardens you can continue your walk back through town on Meeting Street, which will eventually lead you to the City Market, or take your pick of any number of streets that crisscross the city, some of them still cobblestone just as they were a century ago. Take your time as you meander along the streets and past the homes that transport you back into the past with hidden gardens surrounded by decorative wrought iron gates and ancient Spanish moss-laden oaks. The clip-clop of horses’ feet, cemeteries, and some the oldest churches in our country remind you of the beginnings of America. Charleston is often referred to as “The Holy City” because there are so many churches; you are never out of sight of a church steeple. The whole city seems to be a garden in itself, lush with azaleas in the spring season and other types of blossoms and foliage the remainder of the year.  Everything is so picturesque, one would never know that Charleston has endured its share of devastating earthquakes, fires, and hurricanes through the years. A self-guided tour is a great way to spend a day or a weekend, but to gain further insight and a sense of the city’s history, a guided walking tour is also an option. On a recent visit to Charleston, we chose to participate in one of the many walking tours, Anna’s House & Garden Walking Tour. Being a 12th generation Charleston native, Anna Blythe has an abundant knowledge of the area and its history. The tour begins under the green awning at 61 Queen St., at a shop called Charleston Gardens, and the tour goes rain or shine. Fortunately, the weather was perfect on this day- sunny and 80 degrees. Anna was able to explain about many of the homes on the route: Who owned them, who bought them, additions and repairs throughout the years, the certain styles and periods of the homes, and just about everything you would want to learn. A home on Queen Street had actually been picked up and moved back in order to create parking space. The balconies of a three-story house near the Battery are supported by the three styles of Greek columns, going from bottom to top, Doric, Ionian, and Corinthian.  The architecture on all these homes is superb! There is so much to see. Our group learned about the windows in the homes that could be fully opened and used as doors, the stone blocks found all around the city that are stepping stones to enter a carriage, the boot scrapes placed outside the front door to remove dirt and mud, and how many of the homes are turned at an angle to catch the ocean breezes. And one of the most interesting things about the homes are the earthquake rods. Past earthquakes had shaken and shifted the homes, and rods were run through the homes in order to stabilize them. Once the rods were in place, they could be slowly turned until the house was once again level. [glow=red,2,300]The washers at the ends of the rods can be seen on the outside of the homes. I noticed that several of the washers had been covered with decorative metal lions’ heads. There is a definite lion theme in this area. It can be seen in statues placed at front doors of homes, lion decorations placed on top of and around buildings, and lion faces forged into the iron gates.[/glow] Even though the homes are elegant, they require constant upkeep and repair. Many of the first floors of homes and restaurants were flooded during Hurricane Hugo in 1989, which left a musty smell for quite some time and required extensive repair. One of the homes we passed had recently been painted a soft purple hue, described as “the marshes in winter.” Being a mountain girl, I likened it to the color of twilight over the mountains just before nightfall. Anna led us into several secluded gardens along the way. Shady and cool with a multitude of greenery and fragrant blooms, goldfish ponds with flowing fountains, simple walkways and statues, the gardens gave all kinds of ideas that could be used in our own gardens at home. One of the gardens included a playhouse that four generations have played in and a dog who came out of the house to curiously look us over and then went back inside. I guess we all looked pretty harmless. Vines and native plants were pointed out to us all along the tour, one of them being the Jerusalem Thorn Bush. The bush has sets of thorns along its branches, one long and two short thorns that represent Jesus and the two thieves on the cross. It is believed that Jesus’ thorn of crowns was made from the Jerusalem Thorn Bush. Toward the end of the tour we were ushered into the Palmer Home, an 1849 mansion located on 5 East Battery It is now operated as a bed and breakfast. This stately home is painted a soft pink with white trim and black shutters. The owners of the pink palace live in what used to be the carriage house and the bottom floor of the home and the other floors are used for the bed and breakfast operations. Our group was led through the front door of the home and up the carpeted staircase to the second floor dining room, where assorted refreshments of sweets and pink lemonade had been laid out for us to enjoy. We then took our refreshments onto the balcony (also called a piazza), where we relaxed in rocking chairs and gazed out to sea toward Fort Sumter. We waved to passersby as if we all lived there. The third floor piazza holds additional rocking chairs and a telescope for long range viewing. After taking the break from walking, we went back into the house for a tour of the parlors and bedrooms. Each room was colorful, and chandeliers glistened throughout the house. Anna pointed out pieces of antique furniture and glassware along with ancestral portraits on the walls. I noticed a lot of bird prints throughout the house, and photos of the family over the years gave the house a real homey touch. The ocean breeze keeps the house cool most of the time. At the end of our house tour, we let ourselves out and closed the iron gate behind us, entering once again into the modern world. But as we walked around the Battery and onto Meeting Street, we were again greeted by the past, where we came upon African-American basket weavers selling their wares on the street. This type of basket-making was originally brought here from Africa and has been taught to each generation and preserved until today. The baskets are woven so tightly that they can easily hold water, and some of the baskets require 10 to 12 hours to create. The tour ended on Queen Street, having made a loop around several blocks. City maps can be obtained at the visitor center, bikes can be rented, and a public transportation system is available to continue your self-guided tour. There is lots more to see! All types of architecture, history, plantations, the Citadel military academy, City Market, museums, succulent seafood, art, the South Carolina Aquarium and IMAX theater and, of course, the beaches, just about 20 minutes outside the city. The only tea plantation in America is located in Charleston. And all kinds of shopping. Clothing stores, chocolate shops, restaurants and the intoxicating aromas of those cozy little coffee and tobacco shops. So the next time you need a getaway to escape the fast pace of the world and uplift your spirits, consider a walking tour of Charleston’s historic district.

We will be heading to Charleston today, and returning tomorrow night. I hope to have an opportunity to visit White Point Gardens and Ft. Sumter, but it is doubtful I will have a chance to visit anywhere else of significance. I will take lots of pictures, because I often miss things that others are able to see. I discovered that it is still permissible, even today, to take one's own boat to Ft. Sumter and avoid the ferry. If the same was true in 1981, BP would have had no difficulty smuggling a shovel onto the island under cover of night. I'm just sayin'.

Keep your eyes out for two twenty-two.

forest_blight wrote:: I discovered that it is still permissible, even today, to take one's own boat to Ft. Sumter and avoid the ferry. If the same was true in 1981, BP would have had no difficulty smuggling a shovel onto the island under cover of night. but where would he get the boat?? wilhouse

We returned Saturday from a very nice day and a half in Charleston, SC. The primary reasons were for vacation and to see the Piccolo Spoleto festival (my mom has a booth in the art show). We were also able to visit Fort Sumter, White Point Gardens (on the Battery), and Fort Moultrie. I took lots of pictures, got some literature on the history of Charleston, and bought some good maps. I also obtained pamphlets for Fort Sumter, Drayton Hall, Middleton Place, and Cypress Gardens, but none have any discernible connection to The Secret . I remain just as baffled by Image 2 as before, and all I can say with any certainty is that Image 2 definitely has a connection to Charleston (the mask map) and the lower mask just has to be a reference to Fort Sumter's distinctive pentagonal shape. But does it go with V2, V3, V5, V6, or V10? Who knows. Charleston proper We drove and walked much of the city, me with an eye toward anything Secret -related. See my photos at webshots.com (under "Charleston proper"): http://community.webshots.com/user/quantpsy Fort Sumter Most of the photos I took were of Ft. Sumter because it is the only certain landmark in P2. A more detail-oriented visit might have included going through the museum in Fort Sumter and reading all the captions, but I do not know when the museum was organized. It is possible that the mouth of the lower mask is a representation of the Hunley, a submersible that sank in Charleston Harbor in 1861. A replica of the Hunley can be found on the grounds of Charleston Museum. See my photos at webshots.com (under "Fort Sumter"): http://community.webshots.com/user/quantpsy Fort Moultrie Fort Moultrie was not open when we visited (I think it closes at 5:00). We were able to walk around the grounds outside the fort walls and read plenty of historic markers. Lots of cannons there, too (in pairs!), and easy access to a beautiful beach populated only by the occasional tourist and as many hermit crabs. Given more time, I would like to have entered the fort itself and visited the western tip of Sullivan's Island. With regard to the "arc of lights," there was only one lighthouse that I could see, and nothing about it said "arc of lights" to me. There are some arguments in favor of Fort Moultrie (the Poe connection and a few possible connections to Verse 5), but also some against. For example, if the casque is buried at Fort Moultrie, why put a picture of Fort Sumter in the image? Some have mentioned that "weight and roots extended / Together saved the site" may refer to the use of palmetto logs and sandbags to reinforce the walls. This definitely happened at Fort Moultrie, but "roots extended" is a peculiar way to say "logs," doncha think? See my photos at webshots.com (under "Fort Moultrie"): http://community.webshots.com/user/quantpsy White Point Gardens / The Battery White Point Gardens is full of monuments and historic markers. I really wish I had read cthree's post of 7/2/04 before making this trip. The U.S.S. Maine capstan plaque and the Stede Bonnet monument have such strong connections to V6. See my photos at webshots.com (under "White Point Gardens"): http://community.webshots.com/user/quantpsy

forest_blight wrote:: For example, if the casque is buried at Fort Moultrie, why put a picture of Fort Sumter in the image? Possibly because Sumter's shape is much more recognizable than Moultrie's.  Could simply be another confirmer for Charleston and nothing else.

If the thing is buried at Fort Moltrie, why include Fort Sumter?? Fort Moltrie is part of Fort Sumter in the national Park system... they are managed as one unit.  The verse supports Moltrie over Sumter because you can drive to Moltrie by car (Lane) but Sumter, you need a boat. And historically, Sumter was built to replace Moltrie.

Here is a link for all of the lights of South Carolina. http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/history/WEB ... /LHSC.html It has been common for BP to use words in place of other words so as to not give away a term.... (ie mica for sand) Can he have chosen 'arc' to be used instead of 'range'? Lots of old photos.  The verse fits. Can wingless bird be a cannon ball?

This may have been mentioned already...

"The wings of war"

Some thoughts. I still believe that this image goes with verse 5.  Here is my proposed location of the casque: "Lane Two Twenty Two" http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/7589 ... ton4gh.jpg One enters Sullivan's Island on Station 22 1/2.  Possible interpretations are the second Station 22, or two lane road 22. "You'll see an arc of lights" I really believe that this refers to the lighthouse.  When this idea was brought up before, it was quickly denounced since the beam of light is not really an arc, but the path the beam takes across the sky can definitely be referred to as an arc.  Considering the light from Sullivan's Island Lighthouse can be seen for over 20 miles, I am sure it can be seen from Station 22 1/2. "Weight and roots extended Together saved the site Of granite walls Wind swept halls" In my opinion, this is the strongest argument for verse 5 with image 2.  The association of Fort Moultrie and palmetto logs has been mentioned several times in the thread already, so I won't delve into it.  Fort Moultrie does in fact have granite walls. "Citadel in the night A wingless bird ascended Born of ancient dreams of flight" I believe this refers to the lighthouse itself.  It is within walking distance from Fort Moultrie.  The wingless bird could refer to the elevator (quite a novelty for a lighthouse), or the lighthouse itself.  The ancient dreams of flight could be a play on the word flight (of stairs) or should read, "ancient dreams of light.  When spoken, this phrase is indistinguishable from the phrase in the poem.  I have also supposed that it could refer to the Bible story of The Tower of Babble where the people of the earth try to build a tower to reach the heavens. "Beneath the only standing member Of a forest To the south White stone closest At twelve paces From the west side" http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/7310 ... use1xm.jpg That's the lighthouse at the top of the picture.  The circled Rock is about 53 due West from the circled tree.  Both are south of the lighthouse.  While there are scattered trees around (very few), this is too good to pass up, and they may not have been there in 1982.  They are very small.  12 Paces is about 60 feet, and 53 is close enough for me.  In addition, Google earth could be 7 feet off easily. As an alternate location, http://img425.imageshack.us/img425/2358/4beach8hl.jpg This location is directly south of Fort Moultrie.  One tree is noticeable separate from the rest (south along the beach), and the area is littered with white granite boulders.  I talked to the Ranger at Fort Moultrie, and he said that they had been artificially put there, and had been there as long as he could remember.  More than one boulder would also bring to reason why BP mentioned the closest white rock. "Get permission To dig out." I don't know why this would be mentioned in this verse but not the others.  If the second location is correct, it could refer to the tide.  12 paces would put one very close to the shore.  Perhaps even close enough that one would only be able to dig with the tide down. Next week, I will be going to Charleston to check out both locations and maybe even dig.  Any information or advice you could give before then would be very helpful. I'm sorry if anything here is incoherent or unreadable.  If it is, let me know and I will try to clear it up.

How appropriate for a lobster to go trolling on a beach For the most part, I agree with your assessment, but as we all know on here, that feet equal miles, so a few observations: http://www.charlestongateway.com/sullivans.htm "Lane Two twenty two." As you've stated. "You'll see an arc of lights" As you've stated. "Weight and roots extended... ... Wind swept halls" As you've stated. Now see my link and see where the Fort is in relation to the lighthouse.  You've passed the lighthouse and made the right and drove almost a mile to get to the Fort. I believe that from burial site, (the forest to the south) you'll be in direct sight (to the west) of Fort Sumpter. Without being there, the "only standing memeber of a forest to the south" should be between the Fort and the shore. KEEP IN MIND The casque is beneath THE ONLY STANDING MEMBER The white rock is only there to confirm that you have the correct tree.  The rock at twelve paces is NOT the burial ste. There should be no other rocks within twelve paces of the "tree" except for the one from the west side. Looking south from the Fort to the water is the direction in which the canonns fired to protect themselves from the British. So the only standing member should be a palmetto, which are a protected tree on Sullivan.  If someone sees you near it with a shovel, they may get the wrong impression. Good luck. Take some pictues.  Look for a lion.

Fort Moutrie property extends beyond the Fort itself. The whole of the land between Middle Street to the Southern shore at station twelve is considered the owned by the National Park system, there-by, "get prmission". (Why can I not post photos) Anyways, mapquest: 1214 Middle Street, Sullivan's Island, SC and notice the line of sight of Sumpter to the place you are going to be searching. This is the place.

I think the first place to look is at the tree in the photo, beyond the flag pole. http://www.nps.gov/fomo/pphtml/activities.html Really do not know how anyone can be sure of anything here without digging. The twelve paces is a confirmer, but probably not a certain. The fact that he mentions a rock as a confirmer makes me think these grounds are well manicured and the rocks are not haphazard. "A wingless bird ascended Born of ancient dreams of light" To me has always reminded me of two things: helicopter underground railroad (save escapes) Have never been able to pin those two things directly onto here.  Indirectly, yes.

http://community.iexplore.com/planning/ ... rie#photos see the first photo here. The last standing member should be visible. Look out and see Fort Sumpter.