Homecoming

The first line is cast ashore.

As the heavy mooring ropes are made fast, the crew work with quiet confidence. The bustle of the harbour surrounds them once more — dockworkers call to one another, gulls wheel overhead, and small boats weave between the anchored ships.

For a long moment, Captain Mercer simply stands upon the quarterdeck.
His eyes wander from the weathered timbers beneath his feet to the faces of the men who have shared the voyage.

Mr Wallace breaks the silence.  "Home at last, Captain."

Mercer smiles.  "Yes, Mr Wallace... home."
Another pause.  "A ship is built from timber and sailcloth."
He looks across the deck.  "But a voyage is built by the people who sail her."

One by one, the crew gather their belongings before disappearing down the gangway into the waiting crowd. Laughter replaces the cries of command. The voyage has ended exactly as every captain hopes — with every soul safely home.

Mercer closes the ship's log.  "Every voyage leaves behind more than a wake."
He ties the worn leather journal with a length of cord and places it carefully inside his sea chest.
"One day... someone may wish to read this."
The lid closes.
The story of the Lady Eleanor is complete.
The story of Captain Elias Mercer has only just begun.

Orders from the Captain:

The Captain picked up several copies of the local newspaper, The Monitor .
He turned to the Poet's Corner in each edition and carefully read every verse.
His thoughts immediately returned to the events of the past few months.
He then jotted down the answers, adding: "The Editor always expected brevity."
Finally, he counted and circled what he had written.

1st September 1826:
My first is in SAILOR but never in CREW,
My second is in HARBOUR but absent from VIEW,
My third is in ISLAND but not in the MAP,
My fourth is not in the LOG but is found in the CAP.
Combine all my parts, and you'll find what must float, to bring the next convict or governor's boat.

8th September 1826:
I wear a coat of deepest green,
Yet naked I am always seen;
The heaviest ships upon me ride,
And safely on my back abide.
Yet if you strike me with a pin,
A permanent scar you cannot win;
I have no voice, yet loud I roar,
And cast my treasures on the shore.

15th September 1826:
I view the world in little space,
Am always changing place;
No food I eat, but, by my power,
Procure what millions do devour.

22nd September 1826
We look down when the world grows dark,
Yet leave no footprint, path, or mark;
We keep our watch while millions sleep,
And silent guard the land and deep.
But if the morning rooster crows,
Or early dawn its crimson shows,
We vanish from the traveler’s eye,
Though still we dwell within the sky.

Find what Mercer circled, and use it in Certitude for the cache coordinates.

Captain's Lesson:

Every ending prepares the next beginning.

You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.

Footer

THE LOST ANCHOR EXPEDITION
Chapter 4 — Exhibit 12 of 12
Collection Reference: LE-48
Collection Status: ARCHIVED