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The French come calling Mystery Cache

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Sapience Trek: Hello Rebel Doctor -

As the issues with this cache have not been resolved, I must regretfully archive it.

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Sapience Trek

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Hidden : 5/8/2011
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:

Easy cache. You will be able to drive almost to this one. Watch out for cars!

NOTE...I JUST CHANGED THE CACHE CONTAINER TO A LARGER CONTAINER WHICH NOW HAS A LOG BOOK AND PENCIL IN IT AND A TRAVEL BUG. DO NOT PULL THE CONTAINER FROM IT'S HIDING PLACE, UNSCREW IT. WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED SCREW IT BACK SHUT TO KEEP OUT DAMPNESS. THANKS!!

REBEL DOCTOR

Use the reading below called, "The De Nonville Expedition," to help you fill in the blanks in the coordinate puzzle.

If the puzzle calls for a number produced by a letter, determine the number by the pattern A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, E = 4 and so on.

Coordinate one:

N 43 __ __. __ __ __

Fill in blank one with the last number of the year of the Expedition minus 6.
Fill in the second blank with the first letter of the month of the expedition minus 6.
Fill in the third blank with the number of the day of the month this description of the Expedition began minus 10.
Fill in the fourth blank with the same number of the day minus 1.
Fill in the fifth blank with the same number of the day minus 6

Coordinate two:

077 __ __ . __ __ 0

Fill in the first TWO blanks with the number of men left with Sieur D' Orvillers to guard the redoubt and the batteaux at the mouth of Irondequoit Bay, minus 368.
Fill in the second TWO blanks with the number of enemy (Iroquois) left dead on the battlefield after the first ambush, plus 27.

The De Nonville Expedition....

On the 10th (Editor’s note…of July 1687), we set out at daylight, in order to reach the rendezvous at g\Ganniagatarontagouai, (now called Irondequoit Bay), the same day, although the wind was rather strong, the waves high and the Lake rough. We made such fortunate progress, that just as we arrived at the above named Marais, (In French this means marsh), having first examined it, in expectation of finding the enemy there, we perceived at a distance our French and savage allies who were coming under sail from Niagara. They arrived at the same time with ourselves, (De Nonville’s party of French coming from the east along the southern shore of Lake Ontario.), at the embankment of said Lake, where we spent the rest of the day in seeking a position suitable for intrenchments, and capable of affording protection while we were gone over land in search of the enemy in their villages, the largest of which is distant only nine or ten leagues.

We passed the 11th in constructing palisades, fascines and pickets, for intrenching the dike which separates the Lake from the Marais in which we had placed our boats.

On the 12th at 3 o’clock, after having detached four hundred men, (These men were left under the command of the Sieur D’Orvillers.), to garrison the redoubt, which we had already put in condition of defense for the protection of our provisions, batteauz and canoes, we set out with all our savage allies, who were loaded like ourselves with thirteen days provisions, and took the path which leads by land through the woods to Gannagaro. (When the Genesee country was first surveyed, in 1789, there was an old Indian trail or path leading from the outlet of Irondequoit Bay along its eastern side into the interior of the country. This was undoubtedly the path which the expedition pursued.) We advanced only three leagues this day, among tall woods, sufficiently open to allow us to march in three columns.

The next day, being the 13th we left in the morning, with the design of approaching the village as near as we could, to deprive the enemy of the opportunity of rallying and seizing upon tow different defiles upon two rivers, which it was necessary for us to pass, and where we should undoubtedly meet them. In the mean time we passed those two defiles unmolested, no one appearing but some scouts. There still remained a third defile, at the entrance to said village, at which it was our intention to halt, for the purpose of passing the night, and of resting our troops, who were much fatigued through the extraordinary and sultry heat of the weather, but our scouts having seen the trail of a considerable party which had been in the neighborhood of this defile, warned us to keep our troops together.

About three o’clock in the afternoon, a short time after we had resumed our march, M. de Callieres, who was at the head of the three companies commanded by Tonty, De La Durantaye and Du Lhu, and of all our savages, fell into an ambuscade of Sonnontouans, ( Senecas ), posted in the vicinity of the defile.

They were better received than they anticipated, and were thrown into such consternation, that the most of them threw away their guns and clothing, to escape under favor of the woods. The action was not long, but there was heave firing on both sides.

Three companies of Outaouaies, ( Ottawas ), who were stationed on the right, distinguished themselves, and all our Christian savages farther in the rear, performed their duty admirably, and firmly maintained the position which had been assigned to them on the left.

As we had in our front a dense wood, and a brook bordered with thickets, and had made no prisoners who could tell us positively the number of the enemy who attacked us; the severe fatigue of the march which our troops, as well the French as the savages, had undergone, left us in no condition to pursue the enemy. They had fled beyond where we had sufficient knowledge of the paths, to be certain which we should take, to lead us from the woods into the plain.

The enemy left twenty-seven dead on the field to our knowledge, who had been killed on the spot, besides a much larger number of wounded, judging from the traces of blood which we saw. We learned from one of the dying, that they had more than eight hundred men under arms, either in the action or in the village, and were daily expecting assistance from the neighboring Iroquois.

Our troops being very much fatigued, we rested the remainder of the day at the same place, where we found sufficient water for the night. We maintained a strict watch, waiting for day, in order t enter the plain, which is about a league in extent, before proceeding to the village.

The Reverend Father Emabran, ( Probably the name of the Jesuit is incorrectly spelled, and should be Angelran.), missionary among the Outaouas savages whom he had brought to us, was wounded in the action. It cost us also the death of five habitans and five soldiers wounded.

The next day, which was the 14th (of July), a heavy rain that lasted until noon, compelled us to remain until that time at the place where the action occurred. We set out in battle array, thinking to find the enemy intrenched in the new village, which is above the old.

In the meantime we entered the plain, without seeing any thing but the relics of the fugitives. We found the old village burnt by the enemy, and the intrenchments of the new deserted, which were distant from the old about three quarters of a league. We encamped on the height of the plain, and did nothing this day but protect ourselves from the severe rain, which continued until night.

On the 15th the savages brought us two old men, whom the enemy had left in the woods in their retreat. Two or three women came to surrender themselves, and informed us that for the space of four days, all the old men, women and children had been fleeing in great haste, being able to carry with them only the best of their effects. Their flight was towards Goiogouen, ( land of the Cayugas near Cayuga Lake), behind the Lakes. They were sorely troubled for the means of subsistence, and one woman informed us they were obliged to kill the Oumiamis, (Miami Indians from the Lake Superior region.) prisoners, which was the reason of her escape.

One of the old men who had been of note in the village, and was father or uncle of the chief, told us the ambuscade consisted of two hundred and twenty men, stationed on the hill side, to attack us in the rear, and of five hundred and thirty in front. The two hundred and twenty men directed a part of their efforts against our rear battalions, where they did not expect such strong resistance, as those battalions drove them back more rapidly than they came.

In addition to the above, there were also three hundred men in their fort, situated on a very advantageous height, into which they all pretended to withdraw, having carried there a quantity of Indian corn. This same old man told us he had seen the enemy retire in great disorder and consternation. He informed us there were none but Sonnontouans, (Senecas); that two hundred Goiougouens were about to join them, and other nations, to invite them to unite against us.

After we had obtained from this good man all the information he could impart, he was placed in the hands of the Reverend Father Bruyas, who, finding he had some knowledge of the Christian religion, through the instrumentality of the Reverend Jesuit Fathers, missionaries for twenty years in this village, he set about preparing him for baptism before returning him to the savages who had taken him prisoner. He was baptized, and a little while after, at our solicitation, they contented themselves with knocking him on the head with a tomahawk, instead of burning him according to their custom.

Our first achievement this day, was to burn the fort of which we have spoken. It was eight hundred paces in circumference, well enough flanked, for savages, by an intrenchment advanced for the purpose of communication with a spring on the declivity of a hill, it being the only one where they could obtain water.

The remainder of the day was employed in destroying Indian corn, beans and other produce.

On the 16th we continued the devastation. Our runners brought us from time to time, the spoils of fugitives, found scattered in the woods.

In the afternoon of the same day, we moved our camp to approach those places where there was corn to destroy. A party of our savages, about whom we had been anxious, arrived in the evening with considerable booty, which they had captured in great village of Totiakton, four leagues distant. They found that village also abandoned by the enemy, who, in retreating, had set it on fire, but there were only three or four cabins consumed.

On the 17th we were also occupied in destroying the grain of the small village of Saint Michael, or Gannogarae, distant a short league from the large village, and continued it on the 18th after having moved our camp in order to approach those fields which were concealed and scattered in the recesses of the forest.

On the night of the 19th we had a slight alarm from a shot fired by a sentinel at an Illinois woman, a captive for nine years among the Sonnontouans, and who had fled from the hands of the enemy. She escaped with only a wound in her thigh. She confirmed the report that the Sonnontouans, being much frightened, had fled to the Onnontagues and the English.

She informed us there were forty men killed in their attack upon us and fifty or more severely wounded. She added that all the old men, women and children, were dispersed in the woods on their way to the Goyogouens, but severely straightened for want of food, which they were unable to carry with them by reason of their sudden flight.

For more on this expedition, see, NARRATIVE FO THE EXPEDITION OF THE MARQUIS DE NONVILLE, AGAINST THE SENECAS, IN 1687, translated from the French by Orsamus H. Marshall, The Cornell University Library Digital Collections

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

N pnzren gb cubgbtencu lbhe frys ARNE guvf pnpu gb cbfg n cubgb ba yvar zvtug or sha. Jngpu bhg sbe zhttyrf!!!

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)