Dr Watson, the long time friend of the well known private detective, who formerly took rooms at 221b Baker Street London NW1, has been most helpful in making available the information needed to solve this geocache. Using Holmes' creative techniques and assisted by Watson’s case notes you should have no difficulty in solving the puzzle.
Below you will find questions relating to eight of Holme’s most celebrated investigations as documented by the faithful Dr Watson. We will describe them as ‘Case-History No.1’ etc. and in each there are eight questions. The answer to each question will provide you with a particular number, which will then be used in a simple calculation to determine the co-ordinates of the next waypoint.
The table below will be found useful to record your answers.
At the waypoint you will find a micro container or hidden note which will provide an alphabetical letter and a number,
(e.g. J = 8 etc.). With this information (and persistence) you will be able to determine the final co-ordinates of the cache.
South ..... EX pl.Ode
East ....... Snu fF.box
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Case history No.1
1a What was the estimated age of John Openshaw?
1b At what age did John Openshaw assume a degree of responsibility?
1c How many pips were found in the letter that arrived on the 10th of March?
1d How many persons, named in the story received the pips in an envelope?
1e How many weeks after the pips arrived did Uncle Elias die?
1f The number of reasonable tonnage ships that arrived in Pondicherry during January, February 1883?
1g When was John Swain cleared?
1h The ‘Lone Star’ had a crew with how many native-born Americans?
Case history No.2
2a. In the matter of South African investment options, Holmes determined that his friend would not invest. How many links were there in his chain of reasoning and the final conclusion?
2b. In the first dancing men note, how many of the stick figures were shown with their arms above their head?
2c. How many minutes after one o’ clock was Cubitt expected to arrive at Liverpool Street?
2d. How many ciphers are mentioned?
2e. A study of the fourth note will show that a number of stick figures had one or more feet well off the ground. How many figures were like that?
2f. How many fifty-pound notes were in the bag?
2g. The train left for London at how many minutes past the hour?
2h. The number of gang members?
Case history No.3
3a What is the age of eligibility to join the ‘League’?
3b Members of the ‘League’ were entitled to a weekly salary. How much was the entitlement?
3c The offices of the league were in Pope’s Court. What was the street number?
3d How many weeks did Jabez Wilson spend copying "Encyclopaedia Britannica."?
3e How many thousand Napoleons were borrowed from the ‘Bank of France’?
3f The story describes the arrival of Mr Wilson. How many items of clothing and adornment are mentioned?
3g Holmes initial observation of Mr Wilson made a number of conclusions with regard to his affiliations, past activities and habits. How many?
3h On what day was the ‘League’ dissolved?
Case history No.4
4a. On which floor did Mr. Victor Hatherley reside.?
4b. How many years had Mr Hatherley worked for ‘Venner and Matheson’?
4c. What was the gross income (in shillings) earned by Mr Hatherley during his two year period in business?
4d. How many guineas was Mr Hatherley offered?
4e. How many legs journeyed from Eyford station to the mystery location?
4f. How many miles did the colonel say they had to travel?
4g. What was the estimated distance from the window to the ground?
4h. What was the distance (in miles) between the railway and police stations?
Case history No.5
5a. A number of years passed between the occurrence of the ‘Cornish Horror’ and the day that the full details were revealed to the public. How many years?
5b. How many people spent the evening together in the house at Tredinnick Wartha?
5c. The doctor considered that Brenda had been dead for ...…. hours
5d. How many strong men were needed to place the brothers into the asylum carriage?
5e. How many guttered and burned out candles lay upon the table?
5f. What was the width of the flower border outside the window?
5g. The Latin name for the ‘devil’s-foot root’ has how many letters?
5h. When you know the name of the murderer you then know how many letters there are in his name?
Case history No.6
6a What was the age of Turner’s daughter?
6b How old was Patience?
6c At what speed were the middle-aged gentlemen moving in a westerly direction?
6d How long does it take to go to Swindon?
6e What number did the glass reveal?
6f How many days were spent with the barmaid in Bristol?
6g How many separate tracks were made by the same feet?
6h Holmes wrote a little monograph on the ashes from many varieties of pipe, cigar and cigarette tobacco. How many were included?
Case history No.7
7a. How many years had Violet Hunter worked as a governess?
7b. What salary was initially offered to Miss Hunter?
7c. What is the distance between Winchester and the ‘Copper Beeches’?
7d. How many cockroaches were dispatched before you could wink?
7e. Bricks and clay and data, but how much data was there?
7f. How many separate explanations were possible?
7g. Find the number of dirty windows?
7h. There were three doors in line. How many were opened?
Case history No.8
8a The minimum number of mud-spattered marks on the sleeve?
8b The number of heirs with a dissolute and wasteful disposition?
8c How old was the house where the Roylotts lived?
8d The bedrooms described are on the ground floor. How many were there?
8e The chimney is barred up by a number of large staples. How many?
8f On Helen Stoner’s wrist Holmes noted some livid spots. How Many?
8g How many rooms were reserved at the Crown Inn?
8h Dr Grimesby Roylott's death occurred within seconds. How many?
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Waypoint No.1
South 36 jk.lmn
East 174 rs.tuv
jk = One fifth part of 4c less the sum of 8h and the product of 6g and 5h.
lmn = find the sum of 2d and the product of 3a and 6a, less the product of 7e and 8b.
rs = the difference between the product of 6e and 8d and the product of 1g and 8f
tuv = sum the product of 8d and 8e and the product of 1f and 2h
Sum the above four values to confirm correct result
Checksum = 876
Waypoint No.2
South 36 cx.fpq
East 174 bw.tyh
cx = sum the product of 8b and 2a and the difference between 4g and 5c
fpq = to the product of 5c and 6h add the difference between 1g and 5e
bw = sum the product of 5c and 5f and the product of 1c and 8e.
tyh = find the product of the difference between 2f and 7e and the sum of 3e and 3h
Sum the above four values to confirm correct result
Checksum = 1,595
Waypoint No.3
South 36 fg.adv
East 174 sm.zkr
fg = sum the product of 3b and 4f and the product of 5d and 3g
adv = sum the sum all the 'c' values and the product of 4b, 5e and 8g, then deduct the sum of all the 'd' values.
sm = add 1f to 8g
zkr = sum the product of 1b and 6d and the product of 1a and 4h
Sum the above four values to confirm correct result
Checksum = 1,120
Waypoint No.4
South 36 wd.nsq
East 174 yp.xog
wd = 7b less the product of 5a and 8b
nsq = sum 8c and the product of 2a and 5d, then deduct 4b
yp = 6c less 2e
xog = sum of the sum of all the 'c' values and the product of 2h and 7a
Sum the above four values to confirm correct result
Checksum = 1,181
Waypoint No.5
South 36 dr.gba
East 174 et.kyj
dr = from the product of 3c and 7f deduct 7d
gba = sum the squares of 6b and 5h, then deduct 7f
et = to the sum of all the 'a' values deduct the product of 5b, 7c and 7g, to which result add the difference between 7c and 3b
kyj = sum the sum of all the 'c' values and the sum of all the 'b' values less 7g
Sum the above four values to confirm correct result
Checksum = 1,559
Waypoint No.6
South 36 zq.ycf
East 174 ar.jum
zq = half of the difference between the sum of all the 'h' values and the sum of all the 'e' values; plus the difference between 3e and 6e
ycf = one third of the sum of all the 'c' values less the difference between the sum of all the 'a' values and 2e
ar = deduct 6b from the product of 1e and 8a
jum = the product of 1f and 5a less the product of 7d and 3h
Sum the above four values to confirm correct result
Checksum = 721
Beyond the imposing figure perched on the gatepost you will spy a 5 digit number.
Sum the individual digits to give a two digit number = Φ
Using the same 5 digit number, multiply the first digit by the second, then by the third, fourth and fifth to give a two digit number. From this value deduct the number on the gatepost.
We will call this value Ψ.
Divide Ψ by Φ. This is the value for ‘F’
Determine the number of hours that the establishment is open on Sunday, then deduct dogs on high.
This is the value for ‘O’
Waypoint No.7
South 36 gt.pzq
East 174 nx.hcd
gt = find the product of 1e and 5a then deduct the difference between 8a and 2a. Divide this result by 8g
pzq = deduct 5g from the product of 6h and 8b
nx = find the sum of one fifth of the sum of all the 'a' values and the square of 8b
hcd = find the product of 6e, 4a and 8h, less the sum of 6b and 3d. To this result add the value for 5h
Sum the above four values to confirm correct result
Checksum = 1,488
On arrival you will find a sign, which will provide the necessary information.
On the lowermost sign the forth letter of the second word represents the difference between the sum of the first two numbers of the date shown and the sum of the last two numbers shown.
The sixth letter of the second word represents the last number of the date.
Waypoint No.8
South 36 qg.mtw
East 174 dp.vuw
qg = find the product of the square root of 3h and the difference between the sum of all the 'g' values and the sum of all the 'a' values
mtw = to the product of 7b and 1d add the difference between 8f and 6g
dp = one third part of the sum of all the 'e' values
vuw = from the product of 2b and the sum of all the 'f' values deduct the sum of 2g and 6e
Sum the above four values to confirm correct result
Checksum = 1,191
In conclusion
This is a 'theme' cache. We have provided a number of artifacts that reflect the life and times of Mr Sherlock Holmes and his capable colleague Dr Watson. Please do not remove them from the cache, but feel free to add any item in keeping with this theme. At the time of placement the contents included:
1. a silver revolver siezed during a deadly struggle with that villian and Holmes' arch foe the feared Professor James Moriarty, whilst locked in combat atop the Reichenbach Falls.
2. a black mask left at the scene of the dastardly crime perpetrated at Lord Fothergill's country estate
3. the magnifying glass once used by Inspector Lestrade to positively identify the rear left paw print of the three legged scruffy 'lurcher' owned by that habitual criminal Silas Hardacre that ultimately led to his conviction and incarceration. We know not of the fate of the 'lurcher'
4. Photo of Holmes on his 'Pennyfarthing' bicycle during his travels in the Swiss Alps in 1880
5. a futuristic image of a steam powered mechanical conveyance that some fantacists fervently believe will replace the hansom cab
6. the original snuffbox that was stolen by one of Professor Moriarty's dastardly henchmen from the Duchess of Cairngorm's personal portmanteau during a fearful thunderstorm, whilst attending the 'coming out' debutante ball of her nephew's eldest daughter Lady Clarissa Beauchamp Smithers of Upton Snodsbury