Nova Scotia stretches 500 kilometres on a southwest-northeast axis from Cape Sable to Cape North, the shape of the province is often compared to that native delicacy, the lobster, with Cape Breton Island representing the outstretched claws, preparing to nip unsuspecting Newfoundland across the Cabot Strait.
The coastline of the uplands region is deeply indented, forming many good harbours, some of which are considered outstanding. Hundreds of islands dot the landscape along the entire Atlantic coast, most notably at St. Margarets Bay and Mahone Bay. Reefs and shoals abound, accounting for the many lighthouses erected along this coast. In many ways the Atlantic uplands coast epitomizes the North Atlantic coastline with its bare granite sheets plunging headlong into the raging surf to produce an awesome cataclysm between land and sea. When people think of Nova Scotia, they usually envisage the rocky granite shores of the uplands. Oak Island Mystery
Oak Island has become known as the most elusive treasure in the world, and the Money Pit and its adjacent works the greatest piece of engineering on the American continent.
The unique precautions taken by those who made the original deposit of treasure on Oak Island were intended to protect the treasure from all who might learn of its existence, and those same precautions and safeguards have successfully protected its secret for more than 170 years since its discovery and foiled the efforts of scores of capable, intelligent engineers, at a cost of many thousands of dollars. Who made the deposit? For what purpose was a pit opened to a depth of nearly 200 feet? Who constructed the subterranean sea-guarded vault, and protected it with water tunnels and other devices? Every new attempt to solve this mystery has made it more puzzling.
It is a fact that a vast amount of work was done at some remote period in an exceedingly well-conceived and efficient manner, in order to conceal and safeguard something of very great value. Men do not undertake such stupendous works from mere caprice, or for the concealment of trifles.
Competent engineers have estimated that it took an army of men, working for at least two years, to make this excavation. Their work was competently done, defying all later efforts to recover the treasure.
Each attempt to recover the deposit, after the discovery of its existence in 1795, has been based on, and encouraged by, information obtained directly from predecessors, and as the work progressed from one attempt to another additional evidence of the original work was disclosed, but always without leading to complete success.
One interesting fact that stands out throughout the 170 years of history is that men of high reputation and skill have persisted in believing in the existence of treasure buried on Oak Island, and this in spite of the ridicule of others. It is also noteworthy that from the beginning to the present day many of those who have been identified with one search have hastened to become identified with the next, and that with every succeeding exploration the evidence and probability of ultimate success has steadily grown until it has become almost a certainty.
Failure to recover the treasure after the conditions became known has been due to lack of funds, or lack of engineering skill, or lack of proper equipment, or all three. Money was often raised in too small amounts, the work was conducted in too haphazard a manner, or no well-considered plan was ever adopted and carried persistently and aggressively to its logical conclusion.
It was always the confident belief of those identified with the operations that the recovery of the treasure would excite a much greater interest than was aroused by the discovery of Tut-ankh-amen’s tomb; for the reason that the treasure on Oak Island was believed to be one of even greater size and value.
Just thought you might like to know that last week, the new owners of Oak Island received their Treasure Trove Licence and are set to begin excavations later this year! It’s so exciting that another troop of enthusiastic treasure hunters are going to give Oak Island another go.
I run Oak Island Treasure where you can read all the latest news, view photos, join the forum, etc.
It’s http://www.oakislandtreasure.co.uk if you’re interested.
Comment by Jo - Oak Island Treasure — October 23, 2007 @ 4:44 am