Dearest Emily,
Where to begin, oh where to begin?
As always, we miss you dearly and long to be reunited soon, but our occupations have been assiduous of late, so much so that we have barely had time to stop and breathe.
The acquaintance I told you of, Mr Pritchard, found himself in dire peril and was forced to cancel our rendezvous. I must admit, I fear for his safety and have been unable to contact him since our brief Whatsapp exchange. I have informed the police of his disappearance but there seemed little they could do under such ambiguous circumstances.
Fortunately, before his disappearance, Mr Pritchard managed to supply us with a makeshift map, apparently locating the whereabouts of the document he hoped we might examine.
It was Mr Pritchard’s wish, that our team might infiltrate the British Library’s heavily secured storage facility and retrieve the document before it fell into the hands of undesirables.
Well my darling, you can imagine my surprise at such a request. I fancy it would be easier to break into the bedrooms of Buckingham Palace!
Fortunately, we still maintain excellent relationships with certain members of that institution, so with a little assistance, and a lot of stealth, I was able to slip in unnoticed and locate the mysterious document of which Mr Pritchard cryptically alluded.
The manuscript was hidden amongst an obscure 18th century printed volume of floral illustrations and descriptions. It seemed an odd place for the pages to have been bound, completely out of context with the remainder of the folio. Perhaps it was due to the frequent illustrations and observations; however crude, included in the sheets, leading an early conservator to incorrectly assume a connection, or perhaps it was a predetermined act to ensure a limit to the exposure of the information. Either way, I was glad to have found it before our enemies had discovered its whereabouts.
Without a moment to lose and not wishing to dwell in restricted areas unauthorized, I made a hasty exit from the library, but not before getting some quick snaps of the folio and ‘re-shelving’ the item in a place where other interested parties would not think to look; a place that I could inform relevant staff at a safer date.
So what of the content you ask? Well my dear, here our story ascends to an incredulous peak of excitement and intrigue! I learnt that the Mariner in question (I shall refrain from writing the identity of said mariner here, for fear my emails are being monitored) was a native of Folkestone, that seaside port town on the southeast coast of England. I understand that Folkestone has been occupied since at least the Mesolithic period and was home to an extensive Iron Age oppidum, thought to have engaged in regular trade with the continent before the Romans asserted their dominance following conquest. But its fascinating origins as a town seem to have risen from the Anglo-Saxon period. The daughter of an Anglo-Saxon king of Kent, Eanwythe, refused all marriage proposals and founded a nunnery, where she is said to have performed miracles. Following her death around 640AD Eanswythe was sainted, and her remains are still cared for by the Parish church of St Mary & St Eanswythe in Folkestone, on the site of her original nunnery.
I needed some time to study the document and with such easy access from London, I decided to make my way to Folkestone , hoping that I might learn more of our author in his hometown. Folkestone is a rough round the edges little gem, with glorious sea views, Victorian mansions adorning the cliff tops, and cute winding alleyways peppered with shops, bars and cafes, it retains a little more of its original charm than many seaside resorts in Britain.
Audrey and I made our way to a local portside tavern, of which none seemed more suitable than the aptly named ‘Mariner’. I called upon the expert assistance of some associates from across the pond. With their help, we made the discovery of a lifetime; I can barely contain my excitement at the mere thought of it!
In all the accounts of Drakes famous circumnavigation, we are reminded of his diversion tactics. So not to upset delicate relations with Spain and Portugal, it was announced that Drake would make a trade voyage to Alexandria. Of course soon after leaving England, Drake pointed his ships towards the new world, where we have been told his true purpose was to harass the enemy, infiltrate their monopolies and discover a fabled northwest passage, the Anian Straits, so that a secure route between England and these new riches could be utilised. Although the strait turned out to be a myth, Drake did return to England laden with riches, plundered from Spanish and Portuguese vessels. The voyage was considered to be the most successful in England’s maritime history and the Captain, crew and all the financial backers profited greatly by it. The voyage would lead to a knighthood for Drake, on board the very ship which carried him around the globe.
But oh, my darling... that is merely the tale they wanted us to believe.
According to this single document, which I believe, as do my associates, to be genuine, that account of events is the report they advertised, a double diversion, to disguise the truth of this famous voyage. Our sailor tells a very different tale. This voyage was never about what could be pilfered from enemies abroad. It was never about what could be transported from the Americas back to England. It was about something important that needed to be removed from England, and hidden deep inside a new, uncharted world.
Spain was threatening; the Armada on the horizon, tensions between Catholic Europe and Protestant England were high. King Phillip would invade English shores; the question was only, when?
Of course history reminds us of England’s glorious victory in the Armada battle of 1588, but there was no way of predicting such a victory and the odds were very much in favour of the Spanish superpower of the age.
Elizabeth needed to hide something, something so valuable, so important, that it could only be safe in the furthest reaches of the unknown world. England had many enemies worldwide, it was unsafe to leave this mysterious secret within touching distance of her rivals.
So Drake set out on his secretive mission, with bluff after bluff covering his tracks, diverting the attentions of the world. It seems that at some point on this epic voyage, our sailor was privy to a hushed conversation between Captain Drake and a select few of his generals.
Sadly the folio does not allude to just what this mysterious item might have been, but I can only assume that if the concealment of this secret was regarded with the highest level of importance, it must be something truly phenomenal. Drakes voyage diaries and maps are to this day still missing. The Queen hid them quickly following his return and repeatedly denied Drake the opportunity to publish his exploits.
There were minute tantalising suggestions within the document, that whatever was hidden so secretively was possibly prehistoric. The sailor exclaimed that his Captain spoke of a treasure so ancient that only those who worshipped the old gods of Albion, before the truth of Christ was understood, might have been able to translate such a thing. Drake also boasted of the fact this ancient treasure had originated in the southwest of England, Drakes homelands, and this is why he personally, was tasked with such an important mission.
That is all we were able to ascertain from the document, the years have not been kind to its condition, and it was a crude piece of work to begin with. I shall inform the Library of its whereabouts, but I shall endeavour to ensure its security is deemed paramount and its conservation is a priority. Perhaps their skilled employees will discover more information than we were able to in our brief examination.
Our elation was short-lived however. We had no sooner bid a fond farewell to our associates, that we distinctly got the uneasy feeling we were being followed. Sure enough, two figures hovered at a distance, mimicking our actions. Fortunately, the narrow alleys and labyrinth street layout enabled a stealthy escape, but on return to our hotel room, we discovered it had been ransacked. Clearly we are under surveillance and whoever followed us, believed that we would still have retained the physical document. I have booked train tickets under a false name and will be extra vigilant in our departure.
That is all I have to speak of for now my love, we shall make for the southwest and explore the prehistoric landscapes in more detail, perhaps a better understanding of the area and its recent archaeological revelations will reveal the path we must now follow. I will send you all details ASAP and perhaps you can select some excavation teams to do a little exploratory work of our own?
I hope to see you soon my love, every day apart is like a million knives in my soul. I send you all the affection, love and kisses that we have to give.
Forever yours
Craig and Audrey xoxox
