"Reader, if you seek his monument, look around you."
These words are inscribed on a simple slab in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral in London. Modestly, or immodestly, the architect of the building (who lies beneath that slab of stone) felt that he didn't need to join the multitude of national heroes who have elaborate monuments within the building, but that the entire building would be his!
Throughout our city we have many graveyards. These are so often incredibly beautiful places, and I must confess that I enjoy looking through the stones and sculptures. These places tell the story of our city through innumerable forgotten names. Some areas are still in use, while some have suffered from much abuse and neglect. Each and every stone has at some point in time been surrounded by mourners who came to say farewell to someone they will miss. While gathering information for the cache I was a little surprised to see old graves with fresh flowers, showing that even though years have gone by, the person lying here is still remembered.
Consider this cache as a tour through the public and private history of Port Elizabeth.
Unfortunately, we know that certain areas, especially peaceful ones, are subject to the possibility of negative influences, so please exercise caution at all times. I don't recommend tackling the stages at night.
Please consider at all times that this is a place of rest, and be aware of the fact one may still encounter mourners.
The cache will take you to 10 stages (plus the final), so you will travel a great distance to get this one smiley (hence the terrain rating). In each stage you will be required to gather some information which will be helpful in calculating the coordinates to the final cache. You don't need to visit the locations in any particular order, and many of them have a traditional cache that you can tick off while you're there!
Listed Coordinates: The Cenotaph
The listed coordinates will take you to a cenotaph, which is a common monument in many places. Typically, an empty casket is incorporated into the design to represent those who did not receive a proper burial. This type of monument commemorates the dead of wars, particularly the two World Wars of the twentieth century.
This particular cenotaph was sculpted in 1929. The base represents the sarcophagus with relief sculpture around the side. On one side, St George (the patron of Britain) has killed the dragon (evil), and on the other side, a women protects her child (to show how Britain protects her dominions). A needle rises to heaven where angels are seen doing what angels do. Originally intended as a monument to the fallen of the Great War, relief panels were added at the end of the Second World War to incorporate that.
Stage 1: The Scottish Cemetery
The next stop is the Scottish Cemetery, which was established in 1854 on what was then the western edge of town (and in what is now called 'Central'...how times change). As the town expanded, and the established graveyards filled up, the need for more space was becoming an issue. Added to that was the desire by certain groups to have their own quarters so that they could bury their own according to particular rites.
Enter through the recently refurbished gates and walk straight. Somewhere on your right hand side you will see a large, rectangular tomb in white marble. From your vantage point you will see that the one side of it has six crosses formed by four circles each. What is George's surname? A point of interest is that his father, Joshua, was one of the first commissioners, or Councillors, of Port Elizabeth, and owned a shop in main street. Change the letters of his name into numbers (A=1, B=2, etc), and add the values. Hang onto that number for a second.
From where you are standing, turn right and walk towards another gated grave wherein you will see another white tombstone, this one has an angel praying. There is a quote at the foot of the tombstone, and it comes from a poem which was set to music. Who wrote the original poem? What year did he die?
Finally, look around for the darkest tombstone resembling a needle (granite obviously). Here you will find the resting place of Walter Bunton who, in 1889 bought the Grand Hotel and renamed it Bunton's Grand Hotel. His wife, Marie, also in this plot, continued to run the hotel after Walter's death. Many of the extensions which she added to it are still used today. How old was Walter when he died?
Solution B: The year of the writer's death x (Walter's age + George's surname)
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.
Stage 2: Russel Road Cemetery
In the early days, Russel Road was originally known as Burial Kloof. The kloof being a rocky area which created a natural stream when it rained, as well as its proximity to the Fingo settlements situated well out of town, made this site ideal for the settlers of 1820 to bury their dead here. It became run down many years ago, and most of the graves have been vandalised. Even now it is used for vagrants. In an effort to preserve as much of the remaining stones as they can, the municipality has laid them flat and secured them to the ground.
I was interested to note how much slate was used here. I can only guess that, the town still very much a village, marble was harder to come by and so slate was used more often than not.
Enter the cemetery at the listed coordinates and look at the bright white tombstone on the slope on the right hand side. There lies James Dalton, who received the Victoria Cross for his service to Queen and country at Rorke's Drift. Stand in front of his tombstone so you can read the inscription.
To your left and behind you is a flat piece of slate. This is the resting place of Ann, who was married to a Mr T Sterley (note how the stone has a spelling mistake which somebody has come to rectify later - I imagine Mr Sterley was not impressed!). What year did Ann die?
As you head back towards the coordinates, look for a rectangular, broken piece of concrete where Walter lies. The 13 year old boy passed away in 1860. What was his father's name? Convert that to numbers (A=1, B=2, etc). Add the numbers.
Again using James Dalton as our reference, look straight ahead (broadly speaking) for an upright piece of slate with a large round top, and two smaller circles, one on either side of the large central one. You are looking for Mr Laurence Bailey. What year did he pass away?
Solution C: (Laurence's year of death - Ann's year of death) x Walter's father's name
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.
Stage 3: North End Cemetery
This cemetery is located beside the North End jail, and if my history is correct then it is very near the scene of the only public execution in PE's history!
The coordinates take you to a part of the graveyard which is common to most: the paupers' cemetery. Here, people who cannot afford the traditional rituals (religious and otherwise) are buried in extremely simple, often unmarked graves. A concrete block has been requisitioned as a headstone for little Maria Koen. The block has been hand engraved, and I was interested to note that, despite the child passing on 65 years ago, the grave had been visited recently. What date in April did she die?
With your back to the N2, a small road is directly in front you. Follow it to the left and you will find yourself at a memorial to soldiers who perished during the two World Wars. Their remains lie in a field on the other side of the world. As you face the main commemorative marble slab, you will see a stone with Arabic writing on the left. How old was Private Gooden?
Finally, you will notice a large white building near the jail side of the cemetery. This is the Jewish cemetery. In accordance with their customs, please do not enter that area without covering your head. Looking over the wall at some of the graves you will find that stones have been placed, some recently. This is another custom that Jewish people observe. For your purposes, you need to find a marble foundation stone on the side of the building. What date in January 1924 did Sir Lewis Bart lay the foundation stone?
Solution D: Private Gooden's age / (The date the structure was opened - Maria's date)
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.
Stage 4: St Mary's Cemetery
Prior to the arrival of the 1820 Settlers, this area was reserved for military burials. Little in the way of records exist, and so we can really only guess as to what the practice was for burial of civilians. The location was on a rocky outcrop surrounded by shrubbery, on the opposite side of the freshwater lagoon to the fort, making it an ideal spot. After the settlers arrived, the space was made available for civilians. When St Mary's church was built it seems that under certain circumstances they could use the cemetery too. What those circumstances were is anybody's guess.
The church was given control over the land a some stage, although burial of non-Anglicans was still permitted with the exception of Muslims who needed to be buried facing Mecca. This part of the cemetery can still be found beside the main part of St Mary's, across from the Tramways building.
St Mary's vestry minutes tell us that in 1845 the area was surveyed and laid out into plots. Regrettably, much of the shrubbery had to be removed. Furthermore, plots were sold but in a very haphazard way. This area has always been a problem, with people using it as a thoroughfare to get their cattle to the river. In fact, there are letters to the EP Herald from 1847 complaining about the state of the grounds.
As of 1989, no new plots were to be sold, and only those already having plots could be interred there. Almost immediately the place fell into disrepair and disrepute. Over the years the municipality has made efforts to keep the area as best they can. On the day I was there, a group were cutting grass and removing branches from the Muslim cemetery next door.
Make your way into the cemetery and look for what can best be described a large, wide needle mausoleum wherein the Rev Charles Orpen rests. There is much information on the door to the tomb on who this individual was. What Psalm is quoted on the door?
Now look for an angel who has lost an arm. Luckily she still has her trumpet handy! Susanna Spence lies here. Look around for the tombstone of Thomas Wilson Herbert, of whom little is known. His title was Captain, and he had a son named Ove. Which birthday would have been his last one?
Thomas Herbert's birthday is also a significant date in South African history. A great battle was fought by the Zulus. What birthday would Thomas have been celebrating that very day?
Finally, turn from Thomas and look up the hill. Somewhere you will see a tombstone with the Masonic symbol on top. The gentleman concerned seems to have been a lawyer in PE, but was born in Wantage in Berkshire, in the UK. A very famous African-American actor/singer from the USA bears the same name as this man. What year was this actor born?
Solution E: (The actor's date - Rev Orpen's Psalm) x Thomas' last birthday x Thomas' earlier birthday
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.
Stage 5: South End Cemetery
A geocacher will know this graveyard very well, as it is almost completely saturated with caches!
Of all the old cemeteries in PE, this is the one in the best condition. One of the features of this cemetery is a memorial to those who lost their lives in the Great Gale of 1902.
Enter the cemetery and park on the left just as the little wooden fence comes to an end. Still facing the same way as you drove in, on your right (but a few metres down a path) you are looking for a large white marble block lying at an angle on the ground. It is very visible. This is the grave of Bishop Peter Strobino, who was the Catholic bishop in this area from 1893 to 1896. Known to be a vibrant man (as Italians are!), his appointment was unusual as in those days the church in Port Elizabeth only accepted religious who were born in Ireland. Unfortunately, he became ill soon after assuming the position, and passed away.
As you look at the impressive slab of marble, notice the simple cross just to your left. Bishop James Colbert was bishop in Port Elizabeth from 1939 to 1948. In what year did he pass away?
Stand up and look over your shoulder to your left. You will see a plot with two Celtic crosses inside it. One of the flat slabs inside the plot is devoted to Cyril and Kathleen Scott-Parkin. At the foot of the cross on the slab is where the ashes of Father Anthony Scott-Parkin were interred. He was the parish priest of the Humewood / Summerstrand / South End area until his passing in 2008. What date was that (DDMM)?
Solution F: Bishop Colbert's Year - Father Anthony's date
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.
Stage 6: Forest Hill Cemetery
Of all the graveyards on the tour, this is the busiest. Coming here on a Saturday will mean that you will definitely encounter traffic as busses bring mourners in.
Enter at the stone gate you see at the given coordinates. Very soon you will see a small plot for Assumption sisters on your right. Stop anywhere near here. Very close to the plot (but a row back) are two smaller plots: one for Nolan, and another for Peers. The gentlemen concerned knew each other well! For all four individuals separately, consider the dates of birth and death (Referring only to the day, not the month and years). Deduct the highest from the lowest. Multiply Mrs Peers' number by Mr Peers' number. Then deduct Mr Nolan's number from Mrs Nolan's. Finally, add the two results.
Look around for a grave with a big cat on it. Both Mr and Mrs de Moranville passed away in PE, but they were born in another country. What is the three letter short code of the main airport in that country's capital? Convert that to numbers (A=1, B=2, etc), then multiply the first by the last, and add the middle.
Finally, there is a monument nearby commemorating police officers that have died in service. On the granite needle is a coat of arms. In what year was that national coat of arms adopted?
Solution G: (Nolan & Peers' number x the airport code) plus the coat of arms
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.
Stage 7: St John the Baptist Parish Cemetery
Construction on the first church began in 1881. Since then it has undergone many renovations to become what it is today.
No complicated equations here. A lady passed away in Ermelo. On her grave stone is a reference to a Psalm. Which one?
Solution H: The Psalm
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.
Stage 8: Sacramento Trail
The very popular Sacramento Trail may seem an odd inclusion in this listing. Take the trail to a well-known bench not far along the path. You'll find a marble plaque there. What is Frances' surname? Change the letters into numbers (A=1, B=2. etc). Add the odd numbers and the even numbers separately. Delete the lower number from the higher.
Solution I: Frances' surname
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.
Stage 9: The Lovemore Family Private Cemetery
This is another place known to the PE caching community. The Lovemore family are well known and members of the family still take an active part in the administration of the city.
Look around the tombstones. Aside from the name 'Lovemore', what other name (starting with a 'B') do you notice appearing on several stones? Separate the vowels and the consonants, change the letters to numbers (A=1, B=2. etc), and then add each set together, giving you two numbers (ie the sum of the vowels and the sum of the consonants).
Solution J: The bigger number minus the smaller number, divided by two.
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.
Final
Thus ends the tour! Use the following formula to determine the location of the cache:
South: (2 x (((C + H + F) x G) / D)) + (C x (D + J - I)) + (((H + I) / D) + D)
East: (F - 400) + ((E + B) x 2) + (G x D)
We began this tour at a glorious monument to people that died in service of greater and higher ideals. These coordinates will take you to a simpler and humbler monument, but no less cherished, nor less common.
Reader, if you seek our monuments, look all around you.
