Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.
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| Photo by Dale Lutchman Source: Pinterest |
Pigeon Island was detected many years ago when it was overgrown and in disrepair. (See photo of old building above.). It is now a national park, has a restaurant and is a tourist spot, and of course, should not be detected.
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| Pigeon Island. Source: pinterest Photo by Sally R. |
The building shown in the first photo is located by the trees in the flat area under the tallest peak.
The peak was used by the British to observe the French fleet at Martinique.
Here is a little of the history of Pigeon Island.
Pigeon Island was first occupied by the Amerindians, mainly Caribs. The island was later occupied by pirates whose leader was a Norman Captain called Francois Le Clerc. He had a wooden leg and was known to the French as Jambe de Bois. The French who owned the island in 1778 declared war on the British, who retaliated by attacking them in Saint Lucia and capturing the island. The British then built a Naval Base at Gros-Islet Bay, heavily fortifying Pigeon Island. From there they were able to monitor the French fleet in Martinique which resulted in the defeat of the French at the Battle of the Saints in 1782. Pigeon Island was therefore a key factor in the Battles between the British and the French. In 1909 a whaling station was established at Pigeon Island.
Sorry, I can't find the link to that anymore.
Steep cliffs such as some of those on Pigeon Island can be difficult to detect. Notice the steep cliff on the right side of the tallest peak leading down to the water. Some of it is very steep and virtually impossible, but some of it could be detected using the technique I'll now describe.
If you are on a steep hillside, use a shortened rod as shown below. You might choose a dive rod. I have used a short length (just over a foot) of furring as a short rod or handle. All you need is a bit of a handle for the coil.
Another advantage of using a small length of wood instead of your standard detector rod is that it can be easily stowed in a backpack with your control box and coil.
Any hillside like that can hide nice finds. It won't be easy though, at least until you get the technique down.
Good boots are also helpful in keeping your feet dug in and steady.
I should mention that recovery can also be tricky. After pinpointing, you'll want to be able to attach your coil to your belt and use the free hand to dig. Be careful to not let items roll down the hill.
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The summer 2016 issue of the SAR magazine has an article written by Liam O'Connor about spying in the American revolution.
One American spy that we all know is Nathan Hale who uttered the famous line, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country," before he was hanged.
The Culper Ring was an American military spy organization operating in New York City during the British occupation.
Spys were referred to by coded numbers. Robert Townsend, a very productive spy for the Americans, was 723, for example.
Robert Townsend uncovered a British plot to flood the American economy with counterfeit dollars and warned the Americans of Benedict Arnold.
Code names, ciphers, dead drops and invisible ink were all used by the Americans during the revolution.
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The storm situation remanins unchanged. Karl is a tropical depression, and Lisa is still a tropical storm. I don't believe either will affect our beaches.
The surf will be picking up a little.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net