20 REASONS FOR
BEGINNING THE QUEST
1. Owned my home since 1986 and mentioned several times that this location seemed like a great place for the Miwok to live.
2. Had taken an undergraduate course in Geology and wondered why there were so many triangular-shaped stones on the property.
3. In 1998, mentioned to a neighbor that for no apparent reason the water running off from the hillside above my property suddenly had an oily sheen. I joked about the possibility that Sir Francis Drake buried his treasure here and an oil lamp probably fell into the hole and now it began leaking its oil. To this he replied, "the Treasure is under my house". He informed me that 10 years prior, a UC Berkeley had come to his house twice and asked permission to search under it for the Treasure. because the Plate of Brass was found below that house. Access was denied both times.
4. Observed that there were three round spots in the backyard where nothing would grow.
5. In early 2000, discovered what appeared to be an arrowhead. Household members looked at it and agreed. Did nothing at that time.
6. On 6/27/2000 noticed a large green stone which appeared to have arrowheads cut out of it. The stone had been pushed to the surface from below ground by the root of a tree.
7. Thought that the property really must have been a Miwok camp so searched the internet for pictures of the Miwok.
8. The only image of Miwok was a painting done by Ludwig Choris while part of the Kotzebue Expedition in 1816. In the background of the painting a marsh, water and hills. The view from my yard was an exact match to the background of the painting!
9. On 7/2/2000 had a representative from the Miwok Museum in Novato, CA and a local Registered Professional Archaeologist visit the property to see if my property had been a Miwok camp. At the completion of their visit, I was told that it was not a Miwok site and that I did not want a Miwok site on my property for legal reasons.
10. Later the same day I took a walk around the property and noticed two large triangular-shaped stones that pointed uphill to a large rock outcropping. Since the property was not a Miwok site, I recalled what my neighbor said about the UC Berkeley professor and thought of the possibility that my property had something to do with the Sir Francis Drake.
11. That same night, on 7/2/2000 I began to search the internet for any information I could find about Sir Francis Drake.
12. Read about Drake's voyage, The Plate of Brass, The Lost Harbor, The Emerald Treasure and the number 72.
13. Immediately went outside to the two large triangular-shaped stones with a measuring tape. The points of the two stones were exactly 72 inches apart
14. I visited the Miwok site just outside of Novato named Olomp-Ali and then visited the Marin County Public Library at the Civic Center in San Rafael, CA to conduct more research.
15. Went to the City Hall in Larkspur, CA and took a photograph of the only existing picture of the Greenbrae hills before the area was sold to real-estate developers and houses were built.
16. By comparing that photograph of the hills with old maps obtained from Marin County, I was able to determine that before the land was developed the slope of the land lead directly from my property and not from my neighbors property to Drake's Rock.
17. Studied the Hondius Broadside Map of 1595 and refreshed my knowledge of geometry in order to determine how the features of the map aligned with my property.
18. Prepared my own version of the treasure map after reviewing all of my research and considering the the comments about Drake's methods and mannerisms.
19 Executed a written treasure sharing agreement with my next-door neighbor which allowed me to excavate a small area that was on his side of our common fence.
20. On 7/7/2000 started excavation at one of the the round spots in the yard where nothing would grow.