1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,200 In the backwoods of Virginia, there is a document containing a secret code. 2 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:06,200 Take a look at here. 3 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:07,200 What's that little lock? 4 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:08,200 It's like peaks and valleys. 5 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:09,200 Exactly. 6 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:10,200 Mounds. 7 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:12,080 That leads to a legendary treasure. 8 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:14,680 People have been looking for this treasure now for a long time. 9 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:16,680 Oh my God! 10 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:19,280 But can it be found? 11 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:21,480 Guys, look at this! 12 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:22,480 Look at that! 13 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:23,480 1788, is that right? 14 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:24,480 Hey Josh, I got something. 15 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:25,480 Look at this. 16 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:26,480 Yep, I see it! 17 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:27,480 Right up there! 18 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,080 I'm getting more and more confident as we go. 19 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:32,080 I mean, look at this place. 20 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:35,080 Definitely getting her up there. 21 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:38,080 Oh, we got to sleep on rock one or right, be careful! 22 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:39,080 Hang on boys! 23 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:56,840 What if I told you there's a buried treasure out there worth more than $65 million? 24 00:00:56,840 --> 00:01:16,160 The story begins in 1817 with a Virginia adventurer named Thomas Beale, who led an 25 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:21,480 expedition out west that discovered huge quantities of gold and silver. 26 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:26,700 Beale transported the 8,000 pound haul to a secret hiding spot back in Virginia, worried 27 00:01:26,700 --> 00:01:28,840 that the money could fall into the wrong hands. 28 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:34,220 He crafted three coded documents that contain the names of his teammates, a description of 29 00:01:34,220 --> 00:01:39,780 the contents, and most importantly, the exact location of the treasure. 30 00:01:39,780 --> 00:01:44,580 Beale locked the papers in an iron box and gave them to a local innkeeper, with instructions 31 00:01:44,580 --> 00:01:47,980 to open the container only if he didn't return. 32 00:01:47,980 --> 00:01:50,380 Beale was never seen or heard from again. 33 00:01:51,060 --> 00:01:57,820 In time, the box is open, and a publisher named James Ward reveals the three coded documents 34 00:01:57,820 --> 00:02:00,820 in a pamphlet called The Beale Papers. 35 00:02:00,820 --> 00:02:03,420 It's a great story, if it's true. 36 00:02:03,420 --> 00:02:08,220 Some skeptics claim the entire tale is an elaborate hoax, but dedicated treasure hunters 37 00:02:08,220 --> 00:02:13,980 are using newly discovered historic maps, powerful metal detectors, and even aircraft 38 00:02:13,980 --> 00:02:16,500 in hopes of solving the mystery. 39 00:02:16,500 --> 00:02:21,260 There may be four tons of gold and silver just waiting to be found in the mountains 40 00:02:21,260 --> 00:02:22,260 of Virginia. 41 00:02:22,260 --> 00:02:24,740 So let's go find it. 42 00:02:28,740 --> 00:02:34,740 My name is Josh Gates, with a degree in archaeology and a passion for exploration. 43 00:02:34,740 --> 00:02:39,740 I have a tendency to end up in some very strange situations. 44 00:02:39,740 --> 00:02:43,860 There has got to be a better way to make a living. 45 00:02:43,860 --> 00:02:48,220 My travels have taken me to the ends of the earth as I investigate the greatest legends 46 00:02:48,220 --> 00:02:49,220 in history. 47 00:02:49,220 --> 00:02:51,220 We're going to try, let's go. 48 00:02:51,220 --> 00:02:52,900 This is Expedition Unknown. 49 00:02:59,540 --> 00:03:03,980 The only thing I love more than looking for a mysterious buried treasure is a road trip. 50 00:03:03,980 --> 00:03:09,820 So from New York, I'm driving 400 miles to central Virginia to kick off my investigation. 51 00:03:09,820 --> 00:03:14,060 With seven hours in the car, I have plenty of time to contemplate where I'm headed. 52 00:03:14,060 --> 00:03:23,580 Of course, Virginia, as everybody knows, their official state motto is the old, the old tobacco 53 00:03:23,580 --> 00:03:24,580 state. 54 00:03:24,580 --> 00:03:25,580 That's not right. 55 00:03:25,580 --> 00:03:28,300 Can somebody look up the state motto of Virginia? 56 00:03:28,300 --> 00:03:30,660 State motto, thus always to tyrants. 57 00:03:30,660 --> 00:03:32,820 Thus always to tyrants. 58 00:03:32,820 --> 00:03:34,460 That is a bummer of a state motto. 59 00:03:34,460 --> 00:03:38,980 That's probably why they went with Virginia's For Lovers, a little more upbeat. 60 00:03:38,980 --> 00:03:44,100 State motto's aside, by the time I reach the heart of Appalachia, I'm absolutely smitten. 61 00:03:48,100 --> 00:03:52,420 Since I'm here to solve a 200 year old puzzle, I'm taking a moment to stop off at one of 62 00:03:52,420 --> 00:03:58,180 the most mysterious and secret spots in all of Virginia. 63 00:03:58,180 --> 00:03:59,180 Foamhenge. 64 00:03:59,180 --> 00:04:08,380 Just so we're clear, that Stonehenge, made out of foam in Virginia. 65 00:04:08,380 --> 00:04:09,900 Now who cares? 66 00:04:09,900 --> 00:04:10,900 Why? 67 00:04:10,900 --> 00:04:12,900 There's no reason. 68 00:04:12,900 --> 00:04:16,900 Look at it. 69 00:04:16,900 --> 00:04:23,700 It's beautiful. 70 00:04:23,700 --> 00:04:25,060 Okay it's cold and rainy. 71 00:04:25,060 --> 00:04:26,660 Let's go. 72 00:04:26,660 --> 00:04:28,980 Hope Foamhenge is water resistant. 73 00:04:28,980 --> 00:04:34,380 Now that I've seen one of man's most curious creations, I feel inspired to start the hunt. 74 00:04:34,940 --> 00:04:42,540 A few miles down the road, I arrive in Lynchburg, the place the legend was born. 75 00:04:42,540 --> 00:04:47,900 This is beautiful Lynchburg, Virginia, one of the great cities of the American South. 76 00:04:47,900 --> 00:04:49,900 Lynchburg's past runs deep. 77 00:04:49,900 --> 00:04:54,660 Thanks to tobacco and manufacturing, it was once one of the richest cities in America, 78 00:04:54,660 --> 00:04:59,180 and the only Confederate stronghold to not fall to Union troops in the Civil War. 79 00:04:59,180 --> 00:05:04,300 And right here in 1885, James Ward published the Beale Papers. 80 00:05:04,300 --> 00:05:08,660 In many ways, the Beale legend begins right behind me. 81 00:05:08,660 --> 00:05:12,780 This building at the corner of Church in Seventh, a couple hundred years ago, was the Washington 82 00:05:12,780 --> 00:05:13,780 Inn. 83 00:05:13,780 --> 00:05:18,300 And in January of 1820, a strange man named Thomas Jefferson Beale, purportedly gave the 84 00:05:18,300 --> 00:05:23,180 owner, Mr. Morris, an iron box containing the Beale Papers. 85 00:05:23,180 --> 00:05:28,580 According to the pamphlet, the patient innkeeper waited 23 years before opening the box. 86 00:05:28,580 --> 00:05:34,540 Inside, he found three separate documents purportedly encoded with the location, contents, and 87 00:05:34,540 --> 00:05:36,340 rightful owners of the treasure. 88 00:05:36,340 --> 00:05:37,340 The only problem? 89 00:05:37,340 --> 00:05:40,660 They're made up entirely of numbers. 90 00:05:40,660 --> 00:05:45,780 The story says that the innkeeper passed the papers on to a friend, who, decades later, 91 00:05:45,780 --> 00:05:48,780 managed to translate the second of the three documents. 92 00:05:48,780 --> 00:05:49,820 Here's how. 93 00:05:49,820 --> 00:05:56,020 The documents are book codes, secret messages encrypted by using other documents as keys. 94 00:05:56,020 --> 00:06:00,820 In the case of the second cipher, the pamphlet says Beale encoded it using the most influential 95 00:06:00,820 --> 00:06:05,460 piece of writing in American history, the Declaration of Independence. 96 00:06:05,460 --> 00:06:08,780 He numbered the first letter of every word in the declaration. 97 00:06:08,780 --> 00:06:12,180 By doing this, he formed a coded alphabet. 98 00:06:12,180 --> 00:06:17,300 Beale then used those numbers as substitutes for letters to encrypt his secret ciphers. 99 00:06:17,300 --> 00:06:22,340 When using the declaration as a key, the numbers unlock a tantalizing message. 100 00:06:22,340 --> 00:06:24,580 It details the contents of the stash. 101 00:06:24,580 --> 00:06:27,100 It describes the conditions in which it was hidden. 102 00:06:27,100 --> 00:06:33,340 And critically, it tells you where to look. 103 00:06:33,340 --> 00:06:36,500 And just like that, we've got a treasure hunt on our hands. 104 00:06:36,500 --> 00:06:43,100 From Lynchburg, it turns out I'm only about 30 miles from the heart of the Beale legend. 105 00:06:43,100 --> 00:06:47,660 Bedford is an unassuming little town, a snapshot of the American South and not the sort of 106 00:06:47,660 --> 00:06:51,540 place you'd expect to find millions of dollars of buried treasure. 107 00:06:51,540 --> 00:06:57,020 So at the local Bedford winery, they're certainly doing what they can to cash in on the story. 108 00:06:57,020 --> 00:07:00,980 It's a 60 million dollar gold treasure wine right there. 109 00:07:00,980 --> 00:07:01,980 Here we go. 110 00:07:01,980 --> 00:07:03,620 Beale Treasure Wine. 111 00:07:03,620 --> 00:07:04,620 That's correct. 112 00:07:04,620 --> 00:07:05,620 Look at that. 113 00:07:05,620 --> 00:07:07,180 And so does this map actually lead to the treasure? 114 00:07:07,180 --> 00:07:08,180 Oh, it certainly does. 115 00:07:08,180 --> 00:07:09,580 Don't you see the shovel right there? 116 00:07:09,580 --> 00:07:10,580 I do. 117 00:07:10,580 --> 00:07:11,580 I don't see any gold yet though. 118 00:07:11,580 --> 00:07:12,580 I don't know if that's the right spot. 119 00:07:12,580 --> 00:07:13,580 Well, you've got to keep digging. 120 00:07:13,580 --> 00:07:15,260 You have to keep digging. 121 00:07:15,260 --> 00:07:16,260 Or keep drinking. 122 00:07:16,260 --> 00:07:17,260 Well, one or the other. 123 00:07:17,260 --> 00:07:18,500 I love it. 124 00:07:18,500 --> 00:07:22,060 If drinking this wine will help me strike it rich, who am I to argue? 125 00:07:22,060 --> 00:07:25,660 Okay, this'll do it. 126 00:07:25,660 --> 00:07:26,660 Perfect. 127 00:07:26,660 --> 00:07:29,780 Let's get out of here. 128 00:07:29,780 --> 00:07:33,220 In the event that I can't drink my way to the treasure, it's probably a better bet to 129 00:07:33,220 --> 00:07:38,140 follow the clues in the decoded cipher, which leads me to the epicenter of all Beale Treasure 130 00:07:38,140 --> 00:07:39,640 hunts. 131 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:45,260 So by the side of the highway here in Bedford, this building behind me here, this was Buford's 132 00:07:45,260 --> 00:07:46,260 Tavern. 133 00:07:46,260 --> 00:07:49,860 A few places mentioned by name in the legend that's still standing today. 134 00:07:49,860 --> 00:07:54,740 You know, according to the story, four miles from Buford, the treasure's buried. 135 00:07:54,740 --> 00:07:59,380 If the treasure truly is four miles from Buford's Tavern, that means there's an eight mile 136 00:07:59,380 --> 00:08:01,420 diameter to the search zone. 137 00:08:01,420 --> 00:08:05,540 To help me narrow it down, I'm off to meet Mike Evans, a respected Beale Treasure Hunter 138 00:08:05,540 --> 00:08:07,620 with a unique new theory. 139 00:08:07,620 --> 00:08:11,180 When I arrive at our scheduled location, Mike's nowhere in sight. 140 00:08:11,180 --> 00:08:15,300 But that's probably just because I'm not looking up. 141 00:08:15,300 --> 00:08:19,100 I'll say one thing. 142 00:08:19,100 --> 00:08:21,100 Guy knows how to make an entrance. 143 00:08:21,100 --> 00:08:22,100 Hey Mike. 144 00:08:22,100 --> 00:08:23,100 Yeah. 145 00:08:23,100 --> 00:08:24,100 How are you? 146 00:08:24,100 --> 00:08:25,100 How you doing Josh? 147 00:08:25,100 --> 00:08:26,100 I'm good. 148 00:08:26,100 --> 00:08:27,100 Nice to meet you. 149 00:08:27,100 --> 00:08:28,100 I hear you're the man in the know when it comes to the Beale Treasure. 150 00:08:28,100 --> 00:08:30,300 Well, we've got some leads and we're looking feverishly for them. 151 00:08:30,300 --> 00:08:31,500 Well, I'm eager to hear about it. 152 00:08:31,500 --> 00:08:32,500 What's the plan? 153 00:08:32,500 --> 00:08:34,100 Let's get in the plane and I'll tell you about it. 154 00:08:34,100 --> 00:08:35,820 Okay, you got it. 155 00:08:35,820 --> 00:08:36,820 Cuts right to the chase. 156 00:08:36,820 --> 00:08:37,820 That's right. 157 00:08:38,820 --> 00:08:44,540 While I'd be a bit more comfortable cruising down this runway in a John Deere mower rather 158 00:08:44,540 --> 00:08:48,340 than a twin engine airplane, I'm eager to hear Mike's theory. 159 00:08:48,340 --> 00:08:51,220 All right, Mike, you got me up in the air. 160 00:08:51,220 --> 00:08:52,220 Now where are we headed? 161 00:08:52,220 --> 00:08:56,100 The treasure was buried supposedly within four miles of view for 10. 162 00:08:56,100 --> 00:08:58,660 So we're going to get in that four mile circle. 163 00:08:58,660 --> 00:09:00,940 So how do we narrow that four mile radius down? 164 00:09:00,940 --> 00:09:05,380 Well, a lot of people have been looking for this treasure up on these mountain peaks and 165 00:09:05,380 --> 00:09:06,380 it's really hard to reach places. 166 00:09:06,380 --> 00:09:11,260 And you got to remember this story tells us there was a lot of weight to the silver and 167 00:09:11,260 --> 00:09:12,260 the gold. 168 00:09:12,260 --> 00:09:17,100 They would have used the old state trails across one area to another. 169 00:09:17,100 --> 00:09:21,260 Mike believes Beale must have hidden the treasure not far off a beaten track. 170 00:09:21,260 --> 00:09:23,500 In other words, near a road. 171 00:09:23,500 --> 00:09:27,460 He thinks that by honing in on these long forgotten trails, he can narrow the focus 172 00:09:27,460 --> 00:09:28,460 of the search. 173 00:09:28,460 --> 00:09:32,260 Well, you think we can pick up pieces of these from the air? 174 00:09:32,260 --> 00:09:34,780 We're going to try to find some of those old roads. 175 00:09:34,780 --> 00:09:37,620 We're going to tag them up on GPS and then we're going to get down there on the ground 176 00:09:37,620 --> 00:09:38,620 and we're going to try to find them. 177 00:09:38,620 --> 00:09:41,460 All right, so we're getting into the four mile radius now. 178 00:09:41,460 --> 00:09:42,460 Right. 179 00:09:42,460 --> 00:09:43,460 Okay, so ice peel. 180 00:09:43,460 --> 00:09:44,460 Ice peel. 181 00:09:44,460 --> 00:09:46,860 We're looking for little bits of pieces of roads. 182 00:09:46,860 --> 00:09:47,860 Got it. 183 00:09:47,860 --> 00:09:51,980 Mike's historic maps outline Bedford's overgrown 19th century wagon trails. 184 00:09:51,980 --> 00:09:57,900 But with almost 200 years of forest growth, the trick is spotting them. 185 00:09:57,900 --> 00:10:01,340 Hey, Josh, I got something. 186 00:10:01,340 --> 00:10:02,340 Look at this. 187 00:10:02,340 --> 00:10:03,340 Yep, I see it. 188 00:10:03,340 --> 00:10:04,340 Right out there. 189 00:10:05,260 --> 00:10:07,060 Looks like an old trail line through the woods. 190 00:10:07,060 --> 00:10:09,660 That's probably one of the roads that they use. 191 00:10:09,660 --> 00:10:10,660 Copy that. 192 00:10:10,660 --> 00:10:12,060 I'm tagging in on GPS. 193 00:10:12,060 --> 00:10:13,060 All right. 194 00:10:13,060 --> 00:10:14,060 Check it out. 195 00:10:14,060 --> 00:10:15,060 Check it out. 196 00:10:15,060 --> 00:10:16,060 I'm going to take off. 197 00:10:16,060 --> 00:10:17,060 Great. 198 00:10:17,060 --> 00:10:18,060 Take off. 199 00:10:18,060 --> 00:10:19,060 There we go. 200 00:10:19,060 --> 00:10:20,060 Got it. 201 00:10:20,060 --> 00:10:21,060 Good job. 202 00:10:21,060 --> 00:10:22,060 I got it. 203 00:10:22,060 --> 00:10:23,060 Yeah. 204 00:10:23,060 --> 00:10:24,060 I'm going to do the same thing. 205 00:10:24,060 --> 00:10:25,060 I'm going to take off. 206 00:10:25,060 --> 00:10:26,060 That's all right. 207 00:10:26,060 --> 00:10:27,060 There's the road. 208 00:10:27,060 --> 00:10:28,060 I'm going to get down. 209 00:10:28,060 --> 00:10:29,060 I'm going to take off. 210 00:10:29,060 --> 00:10:30,060 I'm going to take off. 211 00:10:30,060 --> 00:10:31,060 The water is the same road. 212 00:10:31,060 --> 00:10:32,060 I'm going to get down. 213 00:10:32,060 --> 00:10:33,060 You got it. 214 00:10:33,060 --> 00:10:34,060 We got it. 215 00:10:34,060 --> 00:10:37,500 We have a view that this thing may be near waterfall. 216 00:10:37,500 --> 00:10:39,460 And how reliable is that lead, do you think? 217 00:10:39,460 --> 00:10:42,100 One of the field papers was partially decoded 218 00:10:42,100 --> 00:10:44,300 and it made mention of a waterfall. 219 00:10:44,300 --> 00:10:47,540 If we cross-referenced these roads with a waterfall, 220 00:10:47,540 --> 00:10:48,900 that may be the spot. 221 00:10:48,900 --> 00:10:50,400 Okay, I got it. Eyes peeled. 222 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:51,500 Eyes peeled. 223 00:10:51,500 --> 00:10:54,340 No one has ever cracked the first or third cipher, 224 00:10:54,340 --> 00:10:56,840 but some researchers believe that the first code 225 00:10:56,840 --> 00:10:59,140 may contain the word waterfall. 226 00:10:59,140 --> 00:11:02,440 Our plan is to search the old roads we've tagged on GPS 227 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:04,720 and look for any signs of waterfalls, 228 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:07,520 which could end up being the bullseye for the treasure. 229 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:10,280 We've got about six or seven spots targeted now. 230 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:11,720 All within that four-mile radius, 231 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:14,480 actually all kind of leading up toward the same ridge. 232 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:15,980 Bobby, let's get this thing back on the ground. 233 00:11:15,980 --> 00:11:17,480 We're gonna go in and investigate. 234 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:18,520 There I am. 235 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:25,320 MUSIC 236 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:26,820 Now we've got a treasure to find. 237 00:11:26,820 --> 00:11:28,020 Let's go do it. 238 00:11:29,220 --> 00:11:31,240 Back on the ground, we rendezvous with Mike's 239 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:32,880 treasure hunting partner, Steve, 240 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:34,580 who's busy prepping their gear. 241 00:11:34,580 --> 00:11:35,840 Nice to meet you, Josh. 242 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:36,880 Fellow treasure hunter. 243 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:38,480 I am. Try to be. 244 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:40,240 All right, what's the plan here? What are we doing? 245 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:42,420 Steve and I brought some metal detectors. 246 00:11:42,420 --> 00:11:43,620 We're gonna take these ATVs, 247 00:11:43,620 --> 00:11:45,220 and we're gonna go as far as the road will take us 248 00:11:45,220 --> 00:11:46,720 and see what we can find. 249 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:48,020 I like it. 250 00:11:48,020 --> 00:11:50,620 MUSIC 251 00:11:50,620 --> 00:11:53,020 With daylight fading and a lot of ground to cover, 252 00:11:53,020 --> 00:11:55,520 we hit the gas and begin the hunt. 253 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:58,620 MUSIC 254 00:11:58,820 --> 00:11:59,820 Yeah! 255 00:11:59,820 --> 00:12:01,620 MUSIC 256 00:12:01,620 --> 00:12:03,120 You got one of these back home? 257 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:04,120 I don't. 258 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:05,620 Hey, bud. 259 00:12:05,620 --> 00:12:07,620 I'm not sure if we're going to find the treasure, 260 00:12:07,620 --> 00:12:09,620 but I'll be damned if I'm gonna pass up the chance 261 00:12:09,620 --> 00:12:11,620 to do some serious off-road driving. 262 00:12:11,620 --> 00:12:13,620 There you go. Get into it. 263 00:12:13,620 --> 00:12:15,620 MUSIC 264 00:12:15,620 --> 00:12:18,620 MUSIC 265 00:12:18,620 --> 00:12:21,620 MUSIC 266 00:12:21,620 --> 00:12:24,620 MUSIC 267 00:12:24,620 --> 00:12:27,620 After four-wheeling deep into Virginia's back country, 268 00:12:27,620 --> 00:12:29,620 we're cruising in on the coordinates, 269 00:12:29,620 --> 00:12:31,620 but we've also run out of light. 270 00:12:31,620 --> 00:12:32,620 MUSIC 271 00:12:32,620 --> 00:12:34,620 No choice but to make camp for the night. 272 00:12:34,620 --> 00:12:36,620 MUSIC 273 00:12:36,620 --> 00:12:39,620 MUSIC 274 00:12:39,620 --> 00:12:41,620 Let's do it, boys. 275 00:12:41,620 --> 00:12:43,620 MUSIC 276 00:12:43,620 --> 00:12:48,620 In no time at all, we've got a warm, crackling fire. 277 00:12:48,620 --> 00:12:50,620 Why are people so into the Beale story? 278 00:12:50,620 --> 00:12:53,620 There's so much history that keeps people going. 279 00:12:53,620 --> 00:12:55,620 It seems like it becomes an obsession for people, though. 280 00:12:55,620 --> 00:12:56,620 It really does. 281 00:12:56,620 --> 00:12:59,620 I think it's gonna be found what the paper number two said. 282 00:12:59,620 --> 00:13:02,620 I believe it's gonna be found within four miles of Buford's Inn. 283 00:13:02,620 --> 00:13:04,620 I think we're in the right area. 284 00:13:04,620 --> 00:13:06,620 Sure. I hear that. 285 00:13:06,620 --> 00:13:08,620 As the night draws on, the temperature drops, 286 00:13:08,620 --> 00:13:11,620 but Mike's brought something along to take off the chill in the air. 287 00:13:11,620 --> 00:13:13,620 A little homemade moonshine. 288 00:13:13,620 --> 00:13:16,620 Whoa. Am I going to go blind if I drink this? 289 00:13:16,620 --> 00:13:18,620 Probably not. Immediately. 290 00:13:18,620 --> 00:13:20,620 MUSIC 291 00:13:20,620 --> 00:13:22,620 Bottoms up, boys. 292 00:13:22,620 --> 00:13:25,620 MUSIC 293 00:13:25,620 --> 00:13:27,620 Oh, Oklahoma. 294 00:13:27,620 --> 00:13:30,620 Now, will this help us find the treasure? 295 00:13:30,620 --> 00:13:33,620 I make us sleep in tomorrow and forget about the treasure. 296 00:13:33,620 --> 00:13:36,620 Did anybody bring food? What do we have today? 297 00:13:36,620 --> 00:13:38,620 What are we eating for dinner out here? 298 00:13:38,620 --> 00:13:40,620 We have to go hunting right now? 299 00:13:40,620 --> 00:13:43,620 I did see some eyes flashing back here earlier. 300 00:13:43,620 --> 00:13:45,620 Is that the eyes flashing in the back? 301 00:13:45,620 --> 00:13:47,620 Oh, that's nice to hear. That's great. 302 00:13:47,620 --> 00:13:49,620 Can't wait to sleep out here tonight. 303 00:13:49,620 --> 00:13:52,620 Maybe it's the 190-proof gasoline that I'm drinking, 304 00:13:52,620 --> 00:13:56,620 but I'm suddenly starting to see the appeal of this whole treasure hunting thing. 305 00:13:56,620 --> 00:13:58,620 That's a good tune. 306 00:13:58,620 --> 00:14:00,620 Oh, we're in a good moonshine. 307 00:14:00,620 --> 00:14:02,620 It's totally true. 308 00:14:02,620 --> 00:14:07,620 MUSIC 309 00:14:07,620 --> 00:14:09,620 A new day in the wilderness of Virginia. 310 00:14:09,620 --> 00:14:13,620 We're getting back to work, and I'm working off a legit hangover. 311 00:14:13,620 --> 00:14:15,620 You ready? Let's go. 312 00:14:16,620 --> 00:14:20,620 Thomas Beale likely transported the treasure using wagons 313 00:14:20,620 --> 00:14:22,620 and may have stashed it near a waterfall. 314 00:14:22,620 --> 00:14:25,620 So we're following a river that runs beside an overgrown road, 315 00:14:25,620 --> 00:14:27,620 which we tagged on GPS. 316 00:14:29,620 --> 00:14:32,620 Shovel's ready, guys. Any time you need it, I have it. 317 00:14:32,620 --> 00:14:34,620 Hey, Josh, why don't you give us a shot? 318 00:14:34,620 --> 00:14:35,620 You want me to run that for a bit? 319 00:14:35,620 --> 00:14:36,620 Yeah. 320 00:14:36,620 --> 00:14:38,620 That means you have to dig if we find anything. 321 00:14:38,620 --> 00:14:39,620 You won't find nothing. 322 00:14:39,620 --> 00:14:42,620 You won't find nothing. I like your confidence. 323 00:14:42,620 --> 00:14:44,620 All right, here we go. 324 00:14:44,620 --> 00:14:46,620 Let's dig something. 325 00:14:46,620 --> 00:14:49,620 And just like that, I've been promoted from head shoveler 326 00:14:49,620 --> 00:14:51,620 to second metal detector. 327 00:14:51,620 --> 00:14:54,620 While I'm not exactly an expert at working this thing, 328 00:14:54,620 --> 00:14:57,620 I do benefit from having a bit of dumb luck. 329 00:14:57,620 --> 00:15:00,620 Hold on. Hey, Steve, I got a real steady hit right in here. 330 00:15:00,620 --> 00:15:02,620 Here, all the way over to here. 331 00:15:02,620 --> 00:15:04,620 That's the strongest point. 332 00:15:10,620 --> 00:15:12,620 Oh, right there. Stop, stop, stop. 333 00:15:16,620 --> 00:15:17,620 See that? 334 00:15:17,620 --> 00:15:18,620 Oh. 335 00:15:19,620 --> 00:15:20,620 Corscheon. 336 00:15:20,620 --> 00:15:21,620 Oh, cold. 337 00:15:21,620 --> 00:15:24,620 I'm in Bedford County, Virginia, looking for the legendary Beale 338 00:15:24,620 --> 00:15:26,620 Treasure. After hours of searching, we finally got a hit. 339 00:15:26,620 --> 00:15:29,620 Hold on. Hey, Steve, I got a real steady hit right in here. 340 00:15:30,620 --> 00:15:32,620 Here, all the way over to here. That's the strongest point. 341 00:15:32,620 --> 00:15:33,620 Okay. 342 00:15:39,620 --> 00:15:41,620 Oh, right there. Stop, stop, stop. 343 00:15:41,620 --> 00:15:42,620 See that? 344 00:15:42,620 --> 00:15:43,620 Oh. 345 00:15:44,620 --> 00:15:46,620 Horseshoe. Oh, cool. 346 00:15:46,620 --> 00:15:47,620 Look at that. 347 00:15:47,620 --> 00:15:48,620 Hey, that's nice. 348 00:15:48,620 --> 00:15:50,620 That's nice, old horseshoe. 349 00:15:50,620 --> 00:15:51,620 That is so cool. 350 00:15:51,620 --> 00:15:53,620 It's well over 100 years old. 351 00:15:53,620 --> 00:15:54,620 Over 100 years old? 352 00:15:54,620 --> 00:15:56,620 Yeah, look how deep the pits are on. 353 00:15:56,620 --> 00:16:01,620 I'm thinking this is probably around mid-1700s to 1800s. 354 00:16:01,620 --> 00:16:02,620 That is incredible. 355 00:16:02,620 --> 00:16:05,620 And again, also kind of a good sign for us. 356 00:16:05,620 --> 00:16:06,620 Yeah, yeah. 357 00:16:06,620 --> 00:16:07,620 Right? 358 00:16:07,620 --> 00:16:08,620 Hey, we're riding horses. 359 00:16:08,620 --> 00:16:09,620 They were riding horses, right? 360 00:16:09,620 --> 00:16:11,620 So this could be from the Beale Time period. 361 00:16:11,620 --> 00:16:12,620 Could be. 362 00:16:12,620 --> 00:16:14,620 Next up, Box of Gold. 363 00:16:14,620 --> 00:16:16,620 All right, here we go. 364 00:16:19,620 --> 00:16:22,620 Since Mike believes the hiding spot may be near a waterfall, 365 00:16:22,620 --> 00:16:25,620 we keep moving upstream to continue the search. 366 00:16:26,620 --> 00:16:28,620 Guys, look at this. Look at that. 367 00:16:30,620 --> 00:16:32,620 Looks like an old spillway or an old dam. 368 00:16:32,620 --> 00:16:34,620 Now, it's kind of stuff we're looking for. 369 00:16:35,620 --> 00:16:37,620 Any guess how old this thing is? 370 00:16:37,620 --> 00:16:39,620 It could be from the period, that's for sure. 371 00:16:39,620 --> 00:16:41,620 Water could have been coming over that in high water, 372 00:16:41,620 --> 00:16:43,620 and that could have been Beale's reference right there. 373 00:16:43,620 --> 00:16:44,620 All right, you guys scan the banks here. 374 00:16:44,620 --> 00:16:46,620 I'm going to check out the spillway over there. 375 00:16:48,620 --> 00:16:50,620 This could be a huge break, 376 00:16:50,620 --> 00:16:53,620 and the spillway warrants closer examination. 377 00:16:53,620 --> 00:16:55,620 Make that careful examination. 378 00:17:00,620 --> 00:17:02,620 That would be a life-deserving. 379 00:17:03,620 --> 00:17:05,620 Please, I don't want to have to come in and get you. 380 00:17:05,620 --> 00:17:07,620 No! 381 00:17:08,620 --> 00:17:10,620 Hold on, Steve, hold on. 382 00:17:10,620 --> 00:17:11,620 What happened? 383 00:17:11,620 --> 00:17:12,620 Quick scan. 384 00:17:12,620 --> 00:17:14,620 Are you all right? 385 00:17:14,620 --> 00:17:16,620 I'm all right, I'm just stuck. 386 00:17:16,620 --> 00:17:18,620 Just don't move around in it too much. Hold on. 387 00:17:18,620 --> 00:17:20,620 Oh, f***, yeah. 388 00:17:20,620 --> 00:17:22,620 Just get my foot under. I got a rock under me right here. 389 00:17:22,620 --> 00:17:24,620 You ready? Here we go. 390 00:17:24,620 --> 00:17:26,620 Up, up, up. You got it? You got it? 391 00:17:26,620 --> 00:17:27,620 Yeah, I got it. 392 00:17:27,620 --> 00:17:28,620 Good. 393 00:17:31,620 --> 00:17:32,620 Quick scan. All right? 394 00:17:32,620 --> 00:17:33,620 I ain't kidding. 395 00:17:33,620 --> 00:17:35,620 Nobody walk over here. 396 00:17:35,620 --> 00:17:37,620 Okay, here we go. Let me get out of here. 397 00:17:43,620 --> 00:17:45,620 After freeing Steve, we get right back to work 398 00:17:45,620 --> 00:17:47,620 searching our potential hotspot. 399 00:17:55,620 --> 00:17:56,620 A jar, fly. 400 00:17:56,620 --> 00:17:57,620 Come here. 401 00:17:58,620 --> 00:17:59,620 Find something? 402 00:18:01,620 --> 00:18:02,620 Right there? 403 00:18:03,620 --> 00:18:05,620 Right, right there. 404 00:18:09,620 --> 00:18:11,620 Oh, I get it hidden here. 405 00:18:14,620 --> 00:18:16,620 Hold on guys, there's something down here. 406 00:18:18,620 --> 00:18:19,620 Oh, that's all. 407 00:18:19,620 --> 00:18:20,620 Oh, coin. 408 00:18:20,620 --> 00:18:21,620 There it is. 409 00:18:21,620 --> 00:18:24,620 Coin, look at that. That is a coin, boys. 410 00:18:24,620 --> 00:18:28,620 Look at that, it says 1788, is that right? 411 00:18:28,620 --> 00:18:30,620 I see it. 412 00:18:31,620 --> 00:18:33,620 That look like a thinned up thing, is that right? 413 00:18:33,620 --> 00:18:34,620 1788. 414 00:18:34,620 --> 00:18:35,620 1788. 415 00:18:35,620 --> 00:18:36,620 Are you kidding me? 416 00:18:36,620 --> 00:18:38,620 That's a six pence. 417 00:18:38,620 --> 00:18:39,620 That's incredible. 418 00:18:39,620 --> 00:18:41,620 That is a coin. 419 00:18:42,620 --> 00:18:43,620 Dave. 420 00:18:43,620 --> 00:18:44,620 From the 1700s. 421 00:18:44,620 --> 00:18:45,620 1700s. 422 00:18:45,620 --> 00:18:46,620 How cool is that? 423 00:18:46,620 --> 00:18:47,620 You found it. 424 00:18:48,620 --> 00:18:50,620 I don't know if it's the Beale treasure, 425 00:18:50,620 --> 00:18:51,620 but that is treasure right there. 426 00:18:51,620 --> 00:18:52,620 That is treasure. 427 00:18:52,620 --> 00:18:53,620 That is treasure. 428 00:18:53,620 --> 00:18:54,620 It's a treasure in itself. 429 00:18:54,620 --> 00:18:56,620 It's a little bit of treasure, but it's treasure. 430 00:18:56,620 --> 00:18:59,620 This antique coin is a rare find and valuable, 431 00:18:59,620 --> 00:19:01,620 so we continue to scour the area. 432 00:19:05,620 --> 00:19:06,620 But after hours of looking, 433 00:19:06,620 --> 00:19:08,620 we don't turn up any additional loot. 434 00:19:08,620 --> 00:19:10,620 All right, here we go. 435 00:19:10,620 --> 00:19:12,620 It isn't the hole the guys are hoping for, 436 00:19:12,620 --> 00:19:15,620 but as we begin the long hike home, they're undeterred. 437 00:19:15,620 --> 00:19:17,620 I think if there is a treasure, 438 00:19:17,620 --> 00:19:19,620 and I think there is a treasure, 439 00:19:19,620 --> 00:19:20,620 that you can find. 440 00:19:20,620 --> 00:19:23,620 And I think that you're going to have to do the leg work to do it. 441 00:19:23,620 --> 00:19:26,620 While I'm impressed with Mike and Steve's confidence, 442 00:19:26,620 --> 00:19:28,620 there's no shortage of other theories 443 00:19:28,620 --> 00:19:30,620 as to where the treasure could be hidden. 444 00:19:30,620 --> 00:19:32,620 Back in downtown Bedford, 445 00:19:32,620 --> 00:19:34,620 I head straight to the local museum 446 00:19:34,620 --> 00:19:35,620 to dig deeper into the legend. 447 00:19:35,620 --> 00:19:36,620 Hello. 448 00:19:36,620 --> 00:19:37,620 Hi. 449 00:19:37,620 --> 00:19:38,620 Hi, how are you? 450 00:19:38,620 --> 00:19:39,620 Doing good, how are you? 451 00:19:39,620 --> 00:19:40,620 Good. 452 00:19:40,620 --> 00:19:41,620 My name's Josh. 453 00:19:41,620 --> 00:19:42,620 I'm doing good. 454 00:19:42,620 --> 00:19:43,620 Hi, Jennifer. 455 00:19:43,620 --> 00:19:45,620 We're doing a little research on the Beale treasure. 456 00:19:45,620 --> 00:19:46,620 Okay. 457 00:19:46,620 --> 00:19:47,620 Any chance you have any historical information 458 00:19:47,620 --> 00:19:49,620 or research or articles on this story? 459 00:19:49,620 --> 00:19:50,620 We do. 460 00:19:50,620 --> 00:19:51,620 You do? 461 00:19:51,620 --> 00:19:52,620 Mm-hmm. 462 00:19:52,620 --> 00:19:53,620 Would you like to take a seat? 463 00:19:53,620 --> 00:19:54,620 And I'll see what I can find for you. 464 00:19:54,620 --> 00:19:55,620 Yeah, for sure. 465 00:19:55,620 --> 00:19:56,620 Thank you so much. 466 00:19:56,620 --> 00:19:57,620 You're welcome. 467 00:19:59,620 --> 00:20:00,620 Thank you very much. 468 00:20:00,620 --> 00:20:01,620 Wow. 469 00:20:01,620 --> 00:20:03,620 Got some more for you. 470 00:20:03,620 --> 00:20:04,620 Great. 471 00:20:04,620 --> 00:20:05,620 Thank you. 472 00:20:05,620 --> 00:20:06,620 Seriously? 473 00:20:06,620 --> 00:20:08,620 And here's some books on the community. 474 00:20:12,620 --> 00:20:13,620 It's all of it now? 475 00:20:13,620 --> 00:20:14,620 Nope. 476 00:20:14,620 --> 00:20:15,620 That's it. 477 00:20:15,620 --> 00:20:16,620 Great. 478 00:20:16,620 --> 00:20:17,620 Thank you. 479 00:20:17,620 --> 00:20:19,620 With a mountain of records in front of me, 480 00:20:19,620 --> 00:20:22,620 I dive into over a century of Beale Treasure history. 481 00:20:22,620 --> 00:20:25,620 It turns out that for every Beale Treasure hunter out there, 482 00:20:25,620 --> 00:20:29,620 there's also a naysayer who claims the whole thing could be a hoax. 483 00:20:29,620 --> 00:20:33,620 One outlandish theory even states it's a work of fiction by Edgar Allan Poe. 484 00:20:33,620 --> 00:20:36,620 However, the most popular theory is that James Ward, 485 00:20:36,620 --> 00:20:38,620 the publisher of the Beale Papers, 486 00:20:38,620 --> 00:20:42,620 concocted the whole story to make money selling it. 487 00:20:42,620 --> 00:20:47,620 In the archives, I find information that could bolster that claim. 488 00:20:47,620 --> 00:20:50,620 It turns out Ward was a member of the Freemasons, 489 00:20:50,620 --> 00:20:55,620 a secretive organization that often communicates using codes. 490 00:20:55,620 --> 00:20:57,620 To follow up on this lead, 491 00:20:57,620 --> 00:21:00,620 I catch the next train out of town. 492 00:21:00,620 --> 00:21:02,620 It's 320 miles to Philadelphia, 493 00:21:02,620 --> 00:21:06,620 where I've arranged a meeting at the most prominent Freemason chapter 494 00:21:06,620 --> 00:21:08,620 in the region to find out more. 495 00:21:08,620 --> 00:21:11,620 Okay, let's see if we can find a seat and some more over here. 496 00:21:14,620 --> 00:21:15,620 Somebody here? 497 00:21:15,620 --> 00:21:16,620 Yeah, sorry. 498 00:21:16,620 --> 00:21:20,620 Unfortunately for me, though, I have chosen the busiest train in America. 499 00:21:20,620 --> 00:21:22,620 I couldn't actually find a seat in the train, 500 00:21:22,620 --> 00:21:24,620 so I'm just going to hang out here by the condiments. 501 00:21:24,620 --> 00:21:27,620 Really relishing this moment. 502 00:21:27,620 --> 00:21:30,620 I'll be here all week. 503 00:21:30,620 --> 00:21:32,620 This is us. 504 00:21:34,620 --> 00:21:36,620 Upon arrival in Philadelphia, 505 00:21:36,620 --> 00:21:40,620 I head directly to the stunning Grand Masonic Lodge. 506 00:21:40,620 --> 00:21:43,620 The Freemasons date back to 17th century England, 507 00:21:43,620 --> 00:21:46,620 and codes are central to their seldom seen rituals. 508 00:21:53,620 --> 00:21:57,620 I hope to gain access to one of the most secretive societies in the world. 509 00:21:59,620 --> 00:22:03,620 I've been given explicit instructions on how to enter the temple. 510 00:22:14,620 --> 00:22:17,620 I'm in Philadelphia at the Grand Masonic Lodge, 511 00:22:17,620 --> 00:22:20,620 where I'm hoping to find out if the legendary Beale Treasure 512 00:22:20,620 --> 00:22:22,620 might be nothing more than a hoax. 513 00:22:25,620 --> 00:22:29,620 I've been given explicit instructions to knock three times on this door 514 00:22:29,620 --> 00:22:32,620 to gain entry into this usually off-limits temple. 515 00:22:34,620 --> 00:22:37,620 I've been given explicit instructions to knock three times on this door 516 00:22:37,620 --> 00:22:40,620 to gain entry into this usually off-limits temple. 517 00:22:43,620 --> 00:22:46,620 I've been given explicit instructions to knock three times on this door 518 00:22:46,620 --> 00:22:49,620 to gain entry into this usually off-limits temple. 519 00:23:00,620 --> 00:23:02,620 Wow, this is amazing. 520 00:23:04,620 --> 00:23:05,620 Welcome. 521 00:23:05,620 --> 00:23:07,620 Thank you. I wasn't sure what was going to happen there. 522 00:23:07,620 --> 00:23:10,620 What a welcome. Absolutely incredible room. 523 00:23:10,620 --> 00:23:12,620 Well, thank you. This is Egyptian Hall. 524 00:23:12,620 --> 00:23:15,620 This is one of the seven lodge rooms that are located here 525 00:23:15,620 --> 00:23:17,620 in the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. 526 00:23:17,620 --> 00:23:19,620 It is a stunner, and it's amazing. 527 00:23:19,620 --> 00:23:22,620 I'm here because we're doing some research on the Beale Ciphers, 528 00:23:22,620 --> 00:23:25,620 which has a lot to do with symbols and with codes. 529 00:23:25,620 --> 00:23:28,620 That's true, and this is probably the most symbolic room in the entire building, 530 00:23:28,620 --> 00:23:30,620 because the hieroglyphics you see, the artwork, 531 00:23:30,620 --> 00:23:33,620 are actually copied off of real temples in Egypt. 532 00:23:33,620 --> 00:23:34,620 It's amazing. 533 00:23:35,620 --> 00:23:38,620 With rare access to this notoriously secretive society, 534 00:23:38,620 --> 00:23:41,620 I have the chance to explore the spectacular temple. 535 00:23:41,620 --> 00:23:44,620 The painting you see on the wall and throughout the building 536 00:23:44,620 --> 00:23:48,620 all depict previous Grand Masters of Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. 537 00:23:49,620 --> 00:23:50,620 Incredible. 538 00:23:51,620 --> 00:23:55,620 Each room is as extravagant as it is mysterious, 539 00:23:55,620 --> 00:23:59,620 with the walls covered in symbols that span history and mythology. 540 00:23:59,620 --> 00:24:02,620 These codes are a virtual secret language 541 00:24:02,620 --> 00:24:06,620 perfected over hundreds of years and generations of members. 542 00:24:06,620 --> 00:24:09,620 This is amazing. I feel like I'm in Hogwarts here. 543 00:24:09,620 --> 00:24:10,620 It's incredible. 544 00:24:11,620 --> 00:24:15,620 So James Ward, who published the Beale Papers, 545 00:24:15,620 --> 00:24:17,620 I've heard was a Mason. 546 00:24:17,620 --> 00:24:21,620 That's true. He was a member of Lodge 51 in Richmond, Virginia. 547 00:24:21,620 --> 00:24:24,620 Masonry was very popular during Ward's time 548 00:24:24,620 --> 00:24:26,620 and the time that the Beale Papers were published, right? 549 00:24:26,620 --> 00:24:28,620 Extremely popular in the latter half of the 19th century. 550 00:24:28,620 --> 00:24:30,620 The fact that Ward was a Mason 551 00:24:30,620 --> 00:24:33,620 means that he could have crafted the Beale Code himself. 552 00:24:33,620 --> 00:24:35,620 George Washington, Ben Franklin, 553 00:24:35,620 --> 00:24:39,620 and a full third of the signers of the Constitution were Masons. 554 00:24:39,620 --> 00:24:43,620 So maybe the fact that Ward was a Mason isn't so strange after all. 555 00:24:43,620 --> 00:24:45,620 And what about Beale himself? Was he a Mason? 556 00:24:45,620 --> 00:24:47,620 So there's always that possibility. 557 00:24:47,620 --> 00:24:52,620 Early 19th century documents are frequently in error 558 00:24:52,620 --> 00:24:54,620 or just simply incomplete because of the ravages of time. 559 00:24:54,620 --> 00:24:58,620 Right. What's your advice for a newbie treasure hunter like me 560 00:24:58,620 --> 00:25:02,620 that's trying to decrypt a 100-plus-year-old cipher? 561 00:25:02,620 --> 00:25:05,620 I would suggest look at things through a different perspective, 562 00:25:05,620 --> 00:25:09,620 put yourself out of the box and see where those who have gone before you have failed 563 00:25:09,620 --> 00:25:11,620 and try to learn from their mistakes. 564 00:25:11,620 --> 00:25:13,620 Keep that in mind too. An open mind. 565 00:25:13,620 --> 00:25:15,620 I think that's good advice. 566 00:25:15,620 --> 00:25:17,620 I'm eager to get back to the hunt, 567 00:25:17,620 --> 00:25:19,620 but before leaving there's one question I have to ask. 568 00:25:19,620 --> 00:25:21,620 Which room are you guys keeping all the treasures in? 569 00:25:21,620 --> 00:25:23,620 The one on the tower of the United Islands. 570 00:25:23,620 --> 00:25:25,620 Oh, perfect. All right. 571 00:25:27,620 --> 00:25:30,620 The revelation that the mysterious Beale might have been a Mason 572 00:25:30,620 --> 00:25:33,620 has me believing that the treasure could still be out there. 573 00:25:33,620 --> 00:25:35,620 So I buy a ticket back to Bedford County. 574 00:25:35,620 --> 00:25:37,620 Thanks very much. Here we go. 575 00:25:37,620 --> 00:25:42,620 While in Philadelphia I received a call from a treasure hunter named Justin Kennedy 576 00:25:42,620 --> 00:25:46,620 who believes he's found a rare document that leads to the Beale fortune. 577 00:25:46,620 --> 00:25:48,620 I don't know how solid his lead is, 578 00:25:48,620 --> 00:25:52,620 but he's asked me to join him in a spot that's slightly outside of town. 579 00:25:52,620 --> 00:25:56,620 A guy wants to meet on a lonely road up in the woods. 580 00:25:56,620 --> 00:25:57,620 Nothing weird about that. 581 00:25:57,620 --> 00:26:01,620 Certainly not the opening to dozens of horror films. 582 00:26:01,620 --> 00:26:03,620 I'm sure it'll be fun. 583 00:26:05,620 --> 00:26:07,620 I'm hoping you're Justin. 584 00:26:07,620 --> 00:26:08,620 Yep. And Josh. 585 00:26:08,620 --> 00:26:09,620 Nice to meet you man. 586 00:26:09,620 --> 00:26:10,620 I'm Justin Kennedy. 587 00:26:10,620 --> 00:26:11,620 How are you Justin? Yes, pleasure. 588 00:26:11,620 --> 00:26:12,620 You ready to do some treasure hunting? 589 00:26:12,620 --> 00:26:13,620 I am ready. 590 00:26:13,620 --> 00:26:14,620 Let's go this way. 591 00:26:14,620 --> 00:26:15,620 That's where we're going? 592 00:26:15,620 --> 00:26:16,620 Yes sir. 593 00:26:16,620 --> 00:26:17,620 Let's go. 594 00:26:17,620 --> 00:26:22,620 All right, so how does a guy get involved in becoming a Beale treasure hunter? 595 00:26:22,620 --> 00:26:26,620 A friend of mine's dad bought an old iron box at a flea market. 596 00:26:27,620 --> 00:26:30,620 In the early 90s he got broke hauling off some craft. 597 00:26:30,620 --> 00:26:31,620 Uh huh. 598 00:26:31,620 --> 00:26:35,620 And when it broke, it exposed a false bottom. 599 00:26:35,620 --> 00:26:37,620 So we went over there to pick our mess up, 600 00:26:37,620 --> 00:26:40,620 noticed a piece of paper sticking out, pulled it out, 601 00:26:40,620 --> 00:26:43,620 and it was a Declaration of Independence. 602 00:26:43,620 --> 00:26:47,620 There are hundreds of early printed versions of the Declaration of Independence, 603 00:26:47,620 --> 00:26:50,620 and Justin believes he's found one of them. 604 00:26:50,620 --> 00:26:53,620 And how did finding that document get you into the treasure hunting? 605 00:26:53,620 --> 00:26:56,620 Well I placed a blacklight on it and discovered the initials TJB. 606 00:26:56,620 --> 00:26:57,620 Thomas Jefferson Beale. 607 00:26:57,620 --> 00:26:59,620 Thomas Jefferson Beale, sure. 608 00:26:59,620 --> 00:27:01,620 Also I believe the document is a map. 609 00:27:01,620 --> 00:27:02,620 A map to the treasure? 610 00:27:02,620 --> 00:27:03,620 Yeah, do you want to see it? 611 00:27:03,620 --> 00:27:04,620 You have the original? 612 00:27:04,620 --> 00:27:06,620 No, but I got a perfect copy of it. 613 00:27:06,620 --> 00:27:09,620 I was going to say I was just going to mug you and take that and get out of here. 614 00:27:09,620 --> 00:27:11,620 No, I wouldn't bring an original out here. 615 00:27:11,620 --> 00:27:14,620 While Justin's printing of the Declaration could be extremely valuable, 616 00:27:14,620 --> 00:27:17,620 he has an even bigger payday in his sights. 617 00:27:17,620 --> 00:27:20,620 If it really is a treasure map from Thomas Beale himself, 618 00:27:20,620 --> 00:27:23,620 he could be on the verge of finding millions. 619 00:27:23,620 --> 00:27:25,620 Look at that. 620 00:27:25,620 --> 00:27:27,620 That is the Declaration of Independence. 621 00:27:27,620 --> 00:27:28,620 Yes, sir. 622 00:27:28,620 --> 00:27:29,620 That's incredible. 623 00:27:29,620 --> 00:27:32,620 I can't believe that you have an original printed version of this too. 624 00:27:32,620 --> 00:27:34,620 Take a look at here at the top. 625 00:27:34,620 --> 00:27:35,620 What was that little like? 626 00:27:35,620 --> 00:27:36,620 It's like peaks and valleys. 627 00:27:36,620 --> 00:27:37,620 Exactly. Mountains. 628 00:27:37,620 --> 00:27:38,620 You think it's topography? 629 00:27:38,620 --> 00:27:39,620 Yes, sir. 630 00:27:39,620 --> 00:27:42,620 And I had it authenticated and they said it was purposely altered. 631 00:27:42,620 --> 00:27:43,620 Which, why would you do that? 632 00:27:43,620 --> 00:27:44,620 Right. 633 00:27:44,620 --> 00:27:47,620 And if you flip it over and look at the back, there's a river symbol. 634 00:27:47,620 --> 00:27:48,620 That's pretty cool actually. 635 00:27:48,620 --> 00:27:53,620 It's pretty faded out, but that looks like the Egyptian symbol for the river. 636 00:27:53,620 --> 00:27:54,620 Right. 637 00:27:54,620 --> 00:27:55,620 So what's your move now? 638 00:27:55,620 --> 00:27:56,620 How do you prove it? 639 00:27:56,620 --> 00:27:59,620 This is a theory, but I want to take this thing to the river. 640 00:27:59,620 --> 00:28:00,620 I run through Bedford County. 641 00:28:00,620 --> 00:28:05,620 And I want to see if I can line it up with the tops of some of the mountain ranges down the river there 642 00:28:05,620 --> 00:28:06,620 so we can get a perfect match. 643 00:28:06,620 --> 00:28:07,620 Alright. 644 00:28:07,620 --> 00:28:11,620 Justin believes the sculpted top edge of his copy of the Declaration 645 00:28:11,620 --> 00:28:14,620 could align with the mountain ranges in Bedford County. 646 00:28:14,620 --> 00:28:17,620 He also believes that a symbol for water on the back of the document 647 00:28:17,620 --> 00:28:20,620 means that the point will be found along a river. 648 00:28:20,620 --> 00:28:24,620 With parts of the James River and its tributaries within the search area, 649 00:28:24,620 --> 00:28:26,620 that's where we're focusing our efforts. 650 00:28:26,620 --> 00:28:32,620 It all sounds a bit goonies to me, but with a $65 million fortune up for grabs, 651 00:28:32,620 --> 00:28:34,620 I don't care if we're looking for One-Eyed Willy's pirate ship. 652 00:28:34,620 --> 00:28:36,620 I'm in. 653 00:28:36,620 --> 00:28:41,620 We hike down to the bottom of the canyon where Justin's arranged a raft to take us down the river. 654 00:28:41,620 --> 00:28:45,620 We secure our supplies which include maps, climbing gear, food, 655 00:28:45,620 --> 00:28:48,620 and just about anything else we might need in the backcountry. 656 00:28:51,620 --> 00:28:53,620 Okay, ready? Here we go. 657 00:28:53,620 --> 00:28:57,620 So we're basically looking for the same types of peaks and valleys 658 00:28:57,620 --> 00:28:58,620 we see on the top of that document. 659 00:28:58,620 --> 00:29:00,620 Alright, and it's going to be on the Bedford side. 660 00:29:00,620 --> 00:29:02,620 What's your confidence level? 661 00:29:02,620 --> 00:29:03,620 Pretty confident. 662 00:29:03,620 --> 00:29:04,620 Really? 663 00:29:04,620 --> 00:29:05,620 Yes, sir. 664 00:29:05,620 --> 00:29:06,620 Okay. 665 00:29:06,620 --> 00:29:07,620 I'm ready to do it. 666 00:29:07,620 --> 00:29:08,620 Me too. 667 00:29:08,620 --> 00:29:11,620 All forward, boys. All forward, heart. 668 00:29:11,620 --> 00:29:12,620 Got a lot of weight in this raft. 669 00:29:12,620 --> 00:29:14,620 I should have salads for lunch. 670 00:29:14,620 --> 00:29:15,620 Okay, here we go. 671 00:29:15,620 --> 00:29:16,620 Let's go. 672 00:29:17,620 --> 00:29:22,620 Our raft ride through Bedford County on the icy James River is off to a smooth start. 673 00:29:22,620 --> 00:29:24,620 We got white water up here, guys. 674 00:29:24,620 --> 00:29:28,620 However, it's not long before the river starts to pick up steam. 675 00:29:28,620 --> 00:29:29,620 Definitely getting a wrapper. 676 00:29:29,620 --> 00:29:31,620 Oh, we got a sleeper rock on the right. Be careful. 677 00:29:31,620 --> 00:29:32,620 Here we go. 678 00:29:32,620 --> 00:29:33,620 Hang on, boys. 679 00:29:47,620 --> 00:29:50,620 I'm rafting the James River in Bedford County, Virginia 680 00:29:50,620 --> 00:29:53,620 on a hunt for the legendary Beale Treasure. 681 00:29:53,620 --> 00:29:55,620 Here we go. Hang on, boys. 682 00:29:55,620 --> 00:29:57,620 Alright, everybody, hang on. We're going through. 683 00:30:04,620 --> 00:30:08,620 There's nothing like a plunge into frigid water to make you feel truly alive. 684 00:30:08,620 --> 00:30:09,620 Alright. 685 00:30:09,620 --> 00:30:12,620 And make you wish you'd stayed in bed. 686 00:30:13,620 --> 00:30:14,620 That's cold. 687 00:30:14,620 --> 00:30:16,620 Oh, that guy's cream-heading. 688 00:30:17,620 --> 00:30:18,620 Woo! 689 00:30:18,620 --> 00:30:22,620 With the feeling slowly returning to my extremities, we continue paddling downstream. 690 00:30:25,620 --> 00:30:27,620 Let's pull in over here and check the map. 691 00:30:27,620 --> 00:30:30,620 The river widens enough to give us a view of our surroundings, 692 00:30:30,620 --> 00:30:33,620 and I'm anxious to see if Justin's theory holds water. 693 00:30:33,620 --> 00:30:38,620 He believes his map will line up to a mountain range that will lead us to the treasure. 694 00:30:39,620 --> 00:30:43,620 It's just one large bump in the ridge line. That doesn't match up at all. 695 00:30:43,620 --> 00:30:45,620 Over here. 696 00:30:47,620 --> 00:30:49,620 Here, check that side to see if it works. 697 00:30:51,620 --> 00:30:52,620 That thing will work. 698 00:30:53,620 --> 00:30:54,620 Okay, we're carrying on. 699 00:30:54,620 --> 00:30:55,620 Alright. 700 00:30:55,620 --> 00:30:56,620 Alright, we'll keep looking. 701 00:30:56,620 --> 00:31:00,620 As we continue down the James River, we stop again and again. 702 00:31:00,620 --> 00:31:01,620 That does not line up. 703 00:31:01,620 --> 00:31:05,620 Each time, unsuccessfully lining up the document to the surrounding hills. 704 00:31:05,620 --> 00:31:07,620 That does not line up. 705 00:31:08,620 --> 00:31:10,620 That first ridge lines up, but that's it. 706 00:31:11,620 --> 00:31:12,620 That is not a match. 707 00:31:12,620 --> 00:31:16,620 I don't know about finding treasure, but I've just about memorized the Declaration of Independence. 708 00:31:16,620 --> 00:31:18,620 Rob, this is a pretty common occurrence for you. 709 00:31:18,620 --> 00:31:22,620 A couple of guys with a copy of the Declaration of Independence out on your raft looking for treasure. 710 00:31:22,620 --> 00:31:24,620 And this is the first for us. 711 00:31:24,620 --> 00:31:26,620 He knows we're not sharing it with him, right? 712 00:31:26,620 --> 00:31:27,620 What was that voice? 713 00:31:27,620 --> 00:31:28,620 Nothing. 714 00:31:28,620 --> 00:31:30,620 Nothing, just paddling forward, sir. 715 00:31:30,620 --> 00:31:31,620 Alright. 716 00:31:32,620 --> 00:31:36,620 After a few hours in the raft, the only thing growing faster than the pain in my arms, 717 00:31:36,620 --> 00:31:38,620 is my skepticism in Justin's theory. 718 00:31:38,620 --> 00:31:40,620 Alright, we got another bend in the river here. 719 00:31:40,620 --> 00:31:42,620 Let's pull in and check it out. 720 00:31:42,620 --> 00:31:43,620 Alright. 721 00:31:43,620 --> 00:31:47,620 We're nearly out of Bedford County and running out of territory to explore. 722 00:31:47,620 --> 00:31:48,620 There you go. 723 00:31:48,620 --> 00:31:52,620 And, to be honest, I've lost nearly all hope in Justin's theory. 724 00:31:52,620 --> 00:31:53,620 That's not lining up too good. 725 00:31:53,620 --> 00:31:55,620 There's all sorts of ridges on here. 726 00:31:55,620 --> 00:31:56,620 That looks too flat. 727 00:31:56,620 --> 00:31:57,620 Yeah. 728 00:31:59,620 --> 00:32:01,620 Hey man, check this out. 729 00:32:02,620 --> 00:32:03,620 Woo! 730 00:32:03,620 --> 00:32:04,620 Here we go. 731 00:32:04,620 --> 00:32:06,620 The ridge coming down this way. 732 00:32:06,620 --> 00:32:07,620 Uh-huh. 733 00:32:07,620 --> 00:32:09,620 It got a little hump here. 734 00:32:09,620 --> 00:32:10,620 Uh-huh. 735 00:32:10,620 --> 00:32:11,620 That actually looks like it works. 736 00:32:11,620 --> 00:32:12,620 Here, hold it. 737 00:32:12,620 --> 00:32:13,620 Check it out. 738 00:32:13,620 --> 00:32:19,620 Dude, I gotta tell you, that weirdly matches up. 739 00:32:19,620 --> 00:32:21,620 Let's get a camera behind this to look at this. 740 00:32:21,620 --> 00:32:22,620 That's pretty wild. 741 00:32:22,620 --> 00:32:23,620 Look at that. 742 00:32:23,620 --> 00:32:26,620 That ridge looks like it lines up almost perfectly with that. 743 00:32:26,620 --> 00:32:28,620 That lines up to that, that lines up to that. 744 00:32:28,620 --> 00:32:30,620 It slopes up on that side, slopes down over here. 745 00:32:30,620 --> 00:32:32,620 That's a perfect match right there. 746 00:32:32,620 --> 00:32:34,620 That's how you actually is a perfect match. 747 00:32:34,620 --> 00:32:37,620 I mean, I don't want to say I thought you were nuts. 748 00:32:37,620 --> 00:32:39,620 I thought you were nuts. 749 00:32:39,620 --> 00:32:40,620 Alright, let's get over there. 750 00:32:40,620 --> 00:32:42,620 Let's get over there and check it out. 751 00:32:42,620 --> 00:32:46,620 I mean, now I'm starting to feel like we're about to find a treasure. 752 00:32:46,620 --> 00:32:47,620 Come on, let's go. 753 00:32:47,620 --> 00:32:48,620 Let's do it. 754 00:32:50,620 --> 00:32:52,620 With newfound faith putting a spring in my step, 755 00:32:52,620 --> 00:32:54,620 we head toward the hills, 756 00:32:54,620 --> 00:32:58,620 hopeful to find the next clue in our hunt for the Beale Treasure. 757 00:32:58,620 --> 00:33:00,620 Alright, Justin, assuming we are in the right area, 758 00:33:00,620 --> 00:33:01,620 what are we looking for? 759 00:33:02,620 --> 00:33:04,620 Well, nobody really knows for sure. 760 00:33:04,620 --> 00:33:07,620 Cypher 2 says that the vault is roughly lying in the stone. 761 00:33:07,620 --> 00:33:08,620 Uh-huh. 762 00:33:08,620 --> 00:33:10,620 And the vessels rest on solid stone. 763 00:33:10,620 --> 00:33:12,620 So in your mind, what do you think that area looks like? 764 00:33:12,620 --> 00:33:18,620 I think that it's in a large opening, a large cave, a ravine of some type. 765 00:33:18,620 --> 00:33:19,620 Okay, I got it. 766 00:33:19,620 --> 00:33:20,620 Big hole. 767 00:33:20,620 --> 00:33:21,620 Big hole. 768 00:33:21,620 --> 00:33:22,620 Got it. 769 00:33:24,620 --> 00:33:27,620 We continue to climb up the ridge we spotted from the river, 770 00:33:27,620 --> 00:33:30,620 although I'm not exactly sure what we're looking for. 771 00:33:31,620 --> 00:33:33,620 We're definitely gaining elevation. 772 00:33:37,620 --> 00:33:38,620 Almost to the top. 773 00:33:38,620 --> 00:33:39,620 Oh my god. 774 00:33:39,620 --> 00:33:40,620 Holy s***. 775 00:33:43,620 --> 00:33:45,620 That is huge. 776 00:33:45,620 --> 00:33:47,620 Oh look, it goes way back down there. 777 00:33:47,620 --> 00:33:48,620 You see that? 778 00:33:49,620 --> 00:33:51,620 That is a huge cave. 779 00:33:51,620 --> 00:33:53,620 I mean, the paper just says what? 780 00:33:53,620 --> 00:33:54,620 A vault? 781 00:33:54,620 --> 00:33:55,620 It says underground, right? 782 00:33:55,620 --> 00:33:56,620 Yeah. 783 00:33:56,620 --> 00:33:57,620 That could be a vault. 784 00:33:57,620 --> 00:33:58,620 Yeah, that's a vault. 785 00:33:59,620 --> 00:34:01,620 Let's tell you what, man, I don't know if we're finding treasure, 786 00:34:01,620 --> 00:34:03,620 but your map got us to this. 787 00:34:03,620 --> 00:34:04,620 Yeah. 788 00:34:04,620 --> 00:34:05,620 Okay, so now what? 789 00:34:06,620 --> 00:34:07,620 Let's get down there and check it out. 790 00:34:09,620 --> 00:34:12,620 With a little peer pressure and just a touch of gold fever. 791 00:34:12,620 --> 00:34:13,620 Let's do it. 792 00:34:13,620 --> 00:34:14,620 I hope that's enough rope. 793 00:34:14,620 --> 00:34:15,620 Oh god. 794 00:34:15,620 --> 00:34:19,620 I've agreed to repel down to the massive cave in search of Beale's treasure. 795 00:34:19,620 --> 00:34:20,620 How you doing? 796 00:34:20,620 --> 00:34:22,620 It's steep as s***. 797 00:34:24,620 --> 00:34:27,620 Sometimes I'm not sure whether I love or hate my job. 798 00:34:27,620 --> 00:34:29,620 I'm just hanging from here on out. 799 00:34:30,620 --> 00:34:32,620 Just a complete free fall from here. 800 00:34:35,620 --> 00:34:37,620 I still can't see the back of the cave. 801 00:34:38,620 --> 00:34:39,620 Just hanging down. 802 00:34:41,620 --> 00:34:43,620 You almost there? 803 00:34:45,620 --> 00:34:46,620 Okay, I'm off road. 804 00:34:48,620 --> 00:34:50,620 Cave goes way back, Justin. 805 00:34:52,620 --> 00:34:54,620 I still can't see the back of it even from here. 806 00:34:55,620 --> 00:34:56,620 Made it. 807 00:34:57,620 --> 00:34:58,620 That's something else, huh? 808 00:34:58,620 --> 00:34:59,620 Oh my god. 809 00:34:59,620 --> 00:35:02,620 All right, well, let's see how far back this thing goes, yeah? 810 00:35:02,620 --> 00:35:03,620 Go check it out. 811 00:35:04,620 --> 00:35:05,620 A lot of loose rocks. 812 00:35:06,620 --> 00:35:11,620 Once we've safely reached the bottom, the gigantic scale of the cave finally comes into view. 813 00:35:11,620 --> 00:35:12,620 Look at this place. 814 00:35:14,620 --> 00:35:17,620 Well, I gotta tell you, I'm getting more and more confident as we go. 815 00:35:17,620 --> 00:35:19,620 I mean, look at this place. 816 00:35:22,620 --> 00:35:23,620 Wow. 817 00:35:23,620 --> 00:35:24,620 You claustrophobic? 818 00:35:24,620 --> 00:35:25,620 Are you? 819 00:35:25,620 --> 00:35:26,620 Nope. 820 00:35:28,620 --> 00:35:34,620 The floor of this cave is solid rock, so if the treasure is down here, it may well be in plain view. 821 00:35:34,620 --> 00:35:35,620 Watch your footing in here. 822 00:35:35,620 --> 00:35:37,620 Looks like it drops off a bit down there. 823 00:35:42,620 --> 00:35:43,620 Look at this! 824 00:35:43,620 --> 00:35:44,620 Justin, come here. 825 00:35:44,620 --> 00:35:45,620 Come here, look at this. 826 00:35:45,620 --> 00:35:46,620 What is that? 827 00:35:47,620 --> 00:35:48,620 It's like a nail? 828 00:35:49,620 --> 00:35:50,620 That's a little nail. 829 00:35:52,620 --> 00:35:53,620 It's a big one too. 830 00:35:53,620 --> 00:35:54,620 How old do you think that is? 831 00:35:54,620 --> 00:35:55,620 I'd say like 1800s. 832 00:35:55,620 --> 00:35:58,620 Yeah, I mean at least 100 years old, at least. 833 00:35:58,620 --> 00:36:00,620 They don't make nails like that anymore. 834 00:36:00,620 --> 00:36:03,620 Those old square headed nails. 835 00:36:04,620 --> 00:36:08,620 It's the first thing we've seen down here that's a sign of human presence. 836 00:36:08,620 --> 00:36:10,620 Who knows, there could be a box nearby. 837 00:36:10,620 --> 00:36:11,620 Yeah. 838 00:36:11,620 --> 00:36:12,620 Let's look, come on, let's get into it. 839 00:36:13,620 --> 00:36:17,620 Our discovery gives us enough hope to press deeper into the cave. 840 00:36:17,620 --> 00:36:21,620 As the passages constrict, I'm shaking off a bit of claustrophobia. 841 00:36:21,620 --> 00:36:22,620 This is a little tight. 842 00:36:23,620 --> 00:36:28,620 I feel like a giant baby, squeezing my way out of a limestone birth canal. 843 00:36:30,620 --> 00:36:31,620 Oh my god. 844 00:36:32,620 --> 00:36:34,620 This just gets crazier and crazier. 845 00:36:34,620 --> 00:36:36,620 Oh yeah, that's the money room here. 846 00:36:36,620 --> 00:36:38,620 Look, best place. 847 00:36:39,620 --> 00:36:41,620 That is unbelievable. 848 00:36:41,620 --> 00:36:43,620 I mean this place is so insane. 849 00:36:44,620 --> 00:36:46,620 Look at these huge formations. 850 00:36:46,620 --> 00:36:47,620 That's crazy. 851 00:36:47,620 --> 00:36:48,620 That's crazy. 852 00:36:50,620 --> 00:36:51,620 Okay, let's keep moving. 853 00:36:51,620 --> 00:36:52,620 See something shining. 854 00:36:52,620 --> 00:36:53,620 Something shining? 855 00:36:53,620 --> 00:36:54,620 Yeah. 856 00:36:54,620 --> 00:36:55,620 Oh my god, look at that. 857 00:37:01,620 --> 00:37:05,620 I'm exploring a deep cave in the Virginia backcountry with a local treasure hunter. 858 00:37:05,620 --> 00:37:07,620 Look at this place. 859 00:37:07,620 --> 00:37:09,620 And we may have found something. 860 00:37:09,620 --> 00:37:10,620 Okay, let's keep moving. 861 00:37:10,620 --> 00:37:11,620 See something shining. 862 00:37:11,620 --> 00:37:12,620 See something shining? 863 00:37:12,620 --> 00:37:13,620 Yeah. 864 00:37:13,620 --> 00:37:14,620 What do you see shining? 865 00:37:15,620 --> 00:37:16,620 This is a glass. 866 00:37:16,620 --> 00:37:18,620 Look at the top of the lantern. 867 00:37:18,620 --> 00:37:20,620 Oh my god, look at that. 868 00:37:20,620 --> 00:37:23,620 Six seconds from one of those old glass oil lamps. 869 00:37:23,620 --> 00:37:26,620 If they were using oil lamps down here, they were definitely coming through here. 870 00:37:26,620 --> 00:37:30,620 So the question is, were they coming through here with an oil lamp toting a bottle full of oil? 871 00:37:30,620 --> 00:37:31,620 That is a nail. 872 00:37:31,620 --> 00:37:32,620 That is the question. 873 00:37:32,620 --> 00:37:38,620 The artifacts we found are fascinating clues that other explorers have ventured into these depths. 874 00:37:38,620 --> 00:37:42,620 We hike to the very back of the cave, but don't find any sign of the Beale treasure. 875 00:37:42,620 --> 00:37:46,620 Well, I think it's just about Peter's out here, Justin. 876 00:37:46,620 --> 00:37:48,620 End of the line. 877 00:37:48,620 --> 00:37:50,620 Let's see any other passages or tunnels in here. 878 00:37:50,620 --> 00:37:51,620 Back to the drawing board. 879 00:37:51,620 --> 00:37:53,620 Back to the drawing board, yeah. 880 00:37:53,620 --> 00:37:55,620 Not here, but what a spot. 881 00:37:55,620 --> 00:37:56,620 And the map led us here. 882 00:37:56,620 --> 00:38:00,620 Of course, now that I've come this far with you, if you do find it, I got to cut to the treasure, right? 883 00:38:00,620 --> 00:38:02,620 I might give you a little something something. 884 00:38:02,620 --> 00:38:07,620 But Justin remains confident and vows to return to the area to continue his search. 885 00:38:07,620 --> 00:38:09,620 At what point in treasure hunting do we go get a beer? 886 00:38:10,620 --> 00:38:14,620 As for my search, well, there's something bothering me. 887 00:38:14,620 --> 00:38:18,620 It seems suspicious that the second Beale code was broken hundreds of years ago, 888 00:38:18,620 --> 00:38:22,620 but there's been no progress in deciphering the other two codes. 889 00:38:22,620 --> 00:38:29,620 I'm heading north to Annapolis Junction, Maryland, because if you need a code crack, we're better to go than the NSA. 890 00:38:29,620 --> 00:38:35,620 I've set up a meeting with Todd Matier, a seasoned crypt analyst who's carefully studied the Beale ciphers. 891 00:38:35,620 --> 00:38:39,620 Matier has ripped apart the codes, and I'm eager to hear what he's found. 892 00:38:39,620 --> 00:38:49,620 So what I did is I wrote a computer program that allows you to take the declaration of independence and apply the book cipher to the second Beale papers. 893 00:38:49,620 --> 00:38:54,620 And when you do that, when you plug all that into the computer, what do you get? 894 00:38:54,620 --> 00:38:56,620 Then we get this sequence of characters. 895 00:38:56,620 --> 00:38:59,620 His program reveals a major issue. 896 00:38:59,620 --> 00:39:05,620 It turns out that cipher 2 doesn't actually line up all that well to the Declaration of Independence. 897 00:39:05,620 --> 00:39:09,620 So across the entire second cipher, how many errors are there? 898 00:39:09,620 --> 00:39:15,620 There's about five or six different errors, but only one of the errors will throw off the entire message. 899 00:39:15,620 --> 00:39:19,620 When the author numbered the words in the declaration, he screwed up. 900 00:39:19,620 --> 00:39:24,620 Each mistake like this created ripple effects, making part of the translation unreadable. 901 00:39:24,620 --> 00:39:33,620 So this is a serious problem because the person that created the message and the person who recovered the message would have had to have made the exact same mistakes. 902 00:39:33,620 --> 00:39:39,620 Certainly that casts some doubt here on the ability for him to have cracked this code. 903 00:39:39,620 --> 00:39:40,620 Yes. 904 00:39:40,620 --> 00:39:42,620 But what about the other two ciphers? 905 00:39:42,620 --> 00:39:49,620 Since each code likely has a different key, it's no surprise that the Declaration of Independence doesn't decode ciphers one or three. 906 00:39:49,620 --> 00:39:55,620 But Mr. Matier ran it through his computer program anyway and noticed something very strange. 907 00:39:55,620 --> 00:40:05,620 So if we apply the Declaration of Independence to the first deal cipher, then we get this strange sequence of characters. 908 00:40:05,620 --> 00:40:10,620 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, B. 909 00:40:10,620 --> 00:40:15,620 It's very unlikely that that sequence of characters would have appeared by chance. 910 00:40:15,620 --> 00:40:17,620 It's more than just unlikely. 911 00:40:17,620 --> 00:40:21,620 The odds of this alphabetical sequence of letters appearing by chance are astronomical. 912 00:40:21,620 --> 00:40:23,620 So what does this mean? 913 00:40:23,620 --> 00:40:27,620 Matier believes the author of the ciphers got lazy and made a mistake. 914 00:40:27,620 --> 00:40:31,620 He believes the first and third ciphers were never intended to be solved. 915 00:40:31,620 --> 00:40:35,620 So all the author had to do was fill up both ciphers with random numbers. 916 00:40:35,620 --> 00:40:43,620 But at some point, he just started using the numbers he'd written down from the Declaration of Independence, and he used them in alphabetical order. 917 00:40:43,620 --> 00:40:49,620 Seems like kind of a sad mistake for someone who went through a lot of trouble to really cover his tracks, right? 918 00:40:49,620 --> 00:40:52,620 So what's your professional assessment as a crypt analyst? 919 00:40:52,620 --> 00:40:54,620 I believe it's a hoax. 920 00:40:54,620 --> 00:41:03,620 And thereby meaning that the author of the papers is the same person as the person who cracked the code. 921 00:41:03,620 --> 00:41:05,620 This is a stunning find. 922 00:41:05,620 --> 00:41:08,620 Since the Declaration doesn't cleanly work on cipher two, 923 00:41:08,620 --> 00:41:13,620 and since ciphers one and three seem to have been thrown together using strings of sequential letters, 924 00:41:13,620 --> 00:41:19,620 the only possible conclusion is that whoever wrote the cipher also faked solving it. 925 00:41:19,620 --> 00:41:23,620 In other words, the publisher James Ward. 926 00:41:23,620 --> 00:41:27,620 So it's really a publish employee? 927 00:41:27,620 --> 00:41:29,620 That's right. 928 00:41:30,620 --> 00:41:38,620 Mr. Matiers' 21st century analysis of the Beale ciphers has led us to a definitive answer. 929 00:41:38,620 --> 00:41:41,620 This code is a brilliant hoax. 930 00:41:41,620 --> 00:41:48,620 James Ward, the man who published the Beale papers, created in a sense a viral marketing stunt for the ages. 931 00:41:48,620 --> 00:41:52,620 By solving just the cipher that describes the glittering treasure, 932 00:41:52,620 --> 00:41:55,620 he gave hope that the other two could also be cracked, 933 00:41:55,620 --> 00:41:59,620 and that anyone who purchased his pamphlet could get rich overnight. 934 00:41:59,620 --> 00:42:06,620 No doubt that countless Beale fortune hunters present and future will disagree and be undeterred. 935 00:42:06,620 --> 00:42:12,620 And while I think that science has proved that there's no gold waiting for them in Virginia's backcountry, 936 00:42:12,620 --> 00:42:14,620 I don't think they'll come up empty-handed. 937 00:42:14,620 --> 00:42:17,620 It's the thrill of the hunt, the camaraderie, 938 00:42:17,620 --> 00:42:23,620 and the adventure of chasing this improbable dream in unspoiled American wilderness. 939 00:42:23,620 --> 00:42:26,620 That's the real treasure that waits to be found.