Credit River - Three Bees Traditional Cache

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Hidden : 8/19/2013
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
5 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:


Credit River - Shipwreck Series

Three Bees
 May 20, 1814



There are many shipwrecks around the world. Some very famous and others not so. Each however has it’s own story to tell. As you travel along the Credit River doing this series of caches, we have highlighted a number of these shipwrecks. During low water levels on these parts of the Credit River, you need to be careful in a canoe or kayak so as you don’t wind up in your own shipwreck. Besides the many large rocks along the way, there are also some other obstacles such as dams which should be avoided. All of the geocaches in this series have been placed by tubing, inflatable boat or on foot by walking in the water along the Credit River. Whichever way you choose to search for these caches, use caution and common sense.
More information about this series can be found here: Credit River - Shipwreck Series

Three Bees
Three Bees was a convict ship that caught fire in Sydney Cove in 1814. Three Bees was built in Bridgwater in 1813. Owned by Buckles and Co, she was registered in London and her master was John Wallis. Three Bees arrived in Sydney Cove on 6 May 1814 with a cargo of male convicts. This was one of the so-called fever-ships that had a high mortality rate for the convicts transported upon them.

Governor Macquarie wrote:
The Three Bees, commanded by Captn. John Wallis, arrived on the 6th inst. with two hundred and ten male Convicts, out of 219 originally embarked, the other nine having died on the passage; and out of those landed, it has been necessary to Send fifty five to the Hospital many of them being much affected with Scurvy and others labouring under various complaints. On enquiring into the cause of this mortality and sickness, it appeared that many of them had been embarked in a bad state of health, and not a few infirm from lameness and old age. I am happy in being enabled to state that the Convicts by the Catherine and the Three Bees have, without a Single Exception, borne grateful Testimony to their having been treated with the most unremitting care, Attention, and kindness, by the Masters and Surgeons of those Vessels, from the day of their Embarkation until they were finally landed here. The circumstance of several of those unfortunate men being embarked in a diseased or feeble State will, I trust, shew the necessity for greater attention being paid to the state of the Health of the Convicts, who are to be embarked in future, which I have much reason to believe has not been so fully attended to by the Examining Surgeons as Humanity demands.

After the 210 convicts were all disembarked a fire was discovered on the ship at 4.30 pm on 20 May 1814. It was later thought that the fire was caused by candle snuff being dropped on oakum when an officer and boy had entered the hold. It soon became apparent that the fire could not be fought and so Three Bees was cut loose from her moorings and the other ships in the cove maneuvered to avoid the ship. At 5.30 pm the first gun exploded on board and a swivel ball smashed into the parlour of the house of Captain Piper, luckily missing everything but a writing table. The ship drifted onto Bennelong Point and shortly after her magazine exploded. Three Bees was a total loss.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Cvar pbar jvgu zvpeb pbagnvare nggnpurq, ba haqrefvqr bs gerr oenapurf bireunatvat gur evire.

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)


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