perfidy

Oak Island, home of the mysterious money pit, is on sale for $7 million. Rumored to be the resting place of Captain Kidd's or Blackbeard's treasure (or the Templars, or Mayans, or other pirates, or the British during the Revolutionary War, or space aliens for all I know), it has defied all efforts to penetrate its secrets for over two hundred years, and claimed six lives from those who made the attempt.

In 1795 Daniel McGinnis discovered a circular depression, above which was a branch that looked as though ti had been used as a pully. Mindful of the tales of pirate gold that had surrounded the island for years, he and some friends start digging. Ten feet down, they discovered a layer of oaken planks. Down another ten feet they discovered a second layer of planks. At thirty feet, yet another. Frustrated, they left but vowed to return. They did, and for two centuries they and their successors have remained frustrated.

For ninety feet down, a layer of planks was found every ten feet. But when that last layer was pulled up and digging resumed, a booby trap was sprung. A hidden tunnel began to fill the tunnel with water. By morning, the pit was full to the 33 foot level - local sea level. Many have tried to dig parallel tunnels, but all have been defeated by the ingenious design of the unknown group that created this puzzle.

Since the first discovery, inscriptions in code, perplexing clues and hints of treasure have kept explorers going despite the deaths over the years. There may be a large cave below the pit, and there are at least two flood tunnels designed to keep whatever is at the bottom safe. Research has uncovered evidence of the construction of the tunnels, and drilling has reportedly revealed the existence of wood casks, parchment writing, concrete vaults and more.

At seven mil, this sounds like a bargain. If there is in fact two million pounds of gold at the bottom, that would more than recoup the initial investment. And if it really was the Knights Templar hiding their gold from the French King, just think how cool that would be.