The time has come to issue a warning: this entire series of caches will be archived between May 1st and October 31st, 2022.
A Cipher Series
Doyle is the fourth in a series created for those interested in some degree in cryptology. It is recommended that one do these in alphabetical order, the entire series being Alberti (GC3TAT5), Babbage (GC3V0GV), Colossus (GC3VAFW), Doyle (GC3WTWC), Enigma (GC3X6T8), Flowers (GC41DHR), Gifford (GC6B6HE), Hammer (GC6BR6X), Information (GC6CAXY), Jabberwocky (GC6CY2J), Koblitz (GC6DFP0), Lewis (GC6DMYB), Michie (GC6E4GP), Newman (GC6ENZC), Oded (GC6FNDV), Painvin (GC6G245) and Quits (GC6GN8R). Some can be done independent of the others but, in general, information given and skills acquired in one cache will not be repeated in subsequent caches. We hasten to add that there is not necessarily any connection between the name of the cache and the type of cipher used therein.
Note re Location of Final
As in other conservation areas in what used to be Victoria County - now "Kawartha Lakes" - there are signs warning of possible bear activity. We believe that this is a matter of the city's covering itself; it does not imply that any bears have been seen in the area in recent months or even years. However, the possibility does exist!
Specifics of “Doyle” - the Person
“Doyle” is named in honour of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle because of our personal enjoyment of his Sherlock Holmes stories and, in particular, “The Adventure of the Dancing Men” published in The Return of Sherlock Holmes in 1903. This story, based on an encrypted message, is reported to be among Doyle’s favourite twelve stories. The alphabet he used can be seen on-line.
Arthur Doyle was born in Edinburgh, attended school in England and returned for his medical studies to the University of Edinburgh where one of his professors exhibited many of the traits later attributed to Sherlock Holmes, his famous fictional detective. Holmes was first introduced to the public in 1888 and was killed off by his creator - or so he thought! - in 1893. However, due to public demand, he re-appeared - he had apparently managed to escape death in his previous adventure - in 1903.
For a time, Sir Arthur had a flourishing medical practice and served as a physician in the Boer War. He wrote books in other genres in addition to the Sherlock Holmes stores. Other interests included politics - he was a defeated candidate twice - and spiritualism, particularly in his later years. He had two children by his first wife who died after a long illness and three by a second wife who out-lived him. Doyle died in 1930.
Specifics of “Doyle” - the Cryptogram
The encrypting process being introduced here is as follows:
- write the plaintext in one long line of letters;
- re-write the plaintext on two lines - one under the other - the first letter on the upper line, the second on the lower line, the third on the upper line, the fourth on the lower line and so on until the entire plaintext has been written;
- condense the top line of letters into one long line and follow it immediately by the bottom line of letters also condensed;
- break the long line of letters into “words” of suitable length.
Let us illustrate by using the first three words of the previous paragraph:
- the encrypting process;
- theencryptingprocess;
- t e n r p i g r c s;
- h e c y t n p o e s;
- t e n r p i g r c s h e c y t n p o e s;
- Tenr pi grc shecy tn poes.
To decrypt such a message, one needs to do the steps in reverse.
That encrypted message, as can be seen, is confusing enough as you will find once you start the cryptogram below so there are no other types of encryption used in the first sentence. However, you are strongly advised to complete the decryption of the first sentence before beginning the second one because there are additional wrinkles as revealed in the first sentence.
Should one wish - and one did so wish in sentence two - one could encode the message further by reversing the letters in each word and/or applying a Caesar shift (an alphabet shift) to the message and/or treating it as was done in Colossus etc.
Other Relevant Information
- The cache container is a clean camouflaged peanut butter jar.
- The degrees for north and west are understood to be 44 and 078 respectively.
- The cache is located in a very pleasant place to walk, bicycle or ski. You should be aware that you are looking at a minimum distance of about 750 m one way from the nearest parking area if it is accessible; in the winter, it would probably be almost twice that - but nonetheless, a very pleasant outing!
- Please be very vigilant with respect to potential muggles at the cache site.
- Please provide your own pen or pencil.
- Please re-hide the cache as you find it - i.e. well concealed!
The Cryptogram
YSERE CYTN TI LCT OASA EAOE UA TRHSET N EER ADNAA PAESI TOO KOTE ET REW A ENRPI GHSOAI NS T TDBV BTF ETISN ECWA EDI GNLHB THF SLOF RH LTEE.
MZZ UUXK OG KMZK K YD UZGJU XOK KOGK MZNKF XCY UUCL AJ ISR ONYB TOTXNT LAL BJISR ONZX KKUKZ.
Check Your Answer!
You can check your answers for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.