Final Resting Place
This cache is located in the peaceful, partly shady, usually deserted and rather poorly maintained Seaforth Old Burying Ground and Garden of Remembrance on the lower slopes of Simonsberg at the southern end of Simon’s Town in the Cape Peninsula. As is often the case, there are many intriguing stories of tragedy & heroism behind the words of inscription on the grave head-stones and memorial stones. This is particularly the case here with the special naval connections. See the Simon’s Town Historical Society web page at http://www.simonstown.org/page18.html for details of the establishment of the site and some of the interesting graves to be found here.
(I had wanted to place a larger-sized cache but didn’t find a suitable secure spot, so I settled for a mini-micro instead!). The given coordinates are for the parking space.
To locate the cache:
Park in the small space just off Runciman Drive @ S 34 11.773 E 18 26.583
Step 1: At S 34 11.758 E 18 26.551 is the grave of Harold Triggs Butcher, who died at only 3 years old. An easily recognisable type of sea-shell is embedded in the concrete over the grave. Using alphanumeric substitution (A=1, B=2, C=3, etc) the value of the 5th letter of this 6 letter word = A
Step 2: Move to S 34 11.746 E 18 26.578 where there is a memorial for Pte Thomas Manning who died in a railway accident. The year of his death is 18B2
Step 3: Nearby @ S 34 11.743 E 18 26.573 a few metres to the west is a round memorial to Soldiers & Sailors Whose Graves Are Unknown Or Who Were Buried At Sea. W Bailey of HMS Rattlesnake died on 30.6.1795. Using alphanumeric substitution the first letter of his (somewhat amusing) naval designation (of which he was 1st Class) = C. According to a rather extraordinary web-page http://www.corpun.com/counukn.htm on corporal punishment in the British Navy, this designation was abolished in 1955.
Step 4: Now proceed to S 34 11.729 E 18 26.637 where you will find a white vault. Using alphanumeric substitution the value of the second letter of this Swiss family name = D. The vault was constructed by family member Heinrich Pieter (1820 - 1902) in this Dutch Reformed section of the OBG. He was a Simon’s Town butcher and quite a property owner, including at one time Imhoff’s Gift. He was the son of Johan Jacob of Trullikon, Switzerland who was 2nd surgeon at the military hospital. At the 2nd British occupation of the Cape he continued as surgeon to the British forces for which General Janssens (at one time Governor General of the Cape Colony) branded him a deserter and traitor! He later had a retail shop in Simon’s Town.
Step 5: Move on to the gate post @ S 34 11.716 E 18 26.624 where you will see a plaque with a wholesome thought. The date the plaque was erected is 18E6
Step 6: Climb a little way up the slope to S 34 11.725 E 18 26.615 where you will find four graves of a persons of a particular European nationality many of whom were employed by Sir John Jackson during the construction of the Simon’s Town Selbourne and East Dockyards from 1900-1910. The number of letters in the name of the capital of this country = F
Step 7: Proceed to S 34 11.687 E 18 26.523 where you will find the grave of young Isabella who died aged only 16 months while on the Royal Mail Ship ‘Queen of the South’. The number of the month in which she died = G
Step 8: Move on to the stone table @ S 34 11.701 E 18 26.518 which has a poignant inscription in memory of Maria Oceana Kenny. Using alphanumeric substitution the value of the second letter of the name of the Army in which her husband served = H
Step 9: Finally, at S 34 11.698 E 18 26.537 is a memorial commemorating Russian sailors. Using alphanumeric substitution the value of the 2nd letter of the first name of the sailor Ilyin = J
The cache, a small brown cylindrical plastic tube containing just a small log book and pencil, may be found hidden near the base of one of the stone support pillars, at the following coordinates at the grave under the shady tree:
S 34 11.J(D-H)(F+C) E 18 26.(G-A)(B-J)(J-E)
Note: although the area is predominantly very quiet by nature, please keep your eyes trained & ears tuned for muggles and be sure to replace the cache securely in its hiding place. Thanks!
