in the begining

The beach spread for miles ahead undisturbed while we slipped along the wet, sea washed smooth stones. We had already walked several miles leaving civilisation far behind, the early morning sun is rising behind us, creeping over the chilly silver lined clouds that are being slowly blown away from the morning sun. Further along the tide line, wobbling on the awkwardly placed stones thrown up by the tide and just left for the sea gulls to crack their food upon until next tide.

The Jonathan jinx was a 17th century pirate ship that had not been heard of since Jonathans last attack on the captain of a banana boat. It was last reported to be a spectacular view.

To the right of us the cliffs are a stream of fast, furious dripping water going in many lines down the side of the cliffs which surround the ship with wild, rare even new and exciting flowers growing on and around the ship. Had there have been some plant specialists about we probably would not have got passed this point. However we are focused people and we barely notice the pretty scenery.

My co-worker and I left at 04 00 this morning. I was very lucky to have been selected for this trip, my partner however does not feel so lucky, he seems to think there must be something wrong between us if I am wanting to spend time away from him especially how long this one could be.

When I came home and told him I was leaving and why, his face fell. At first I thought it was because he thought I said leaving meant splitting up, I soon realised that he thought it was an excuse for not sorting the problems out. As much as I hope he knows I will be back, I still want to be with him, I just really REALLY want to be one of the first historians to discover this site. There are very few chances in life where you get to discover a new historical site or object. There are very few of them in the world, and even less we don’t know about.

It hurt me that he could not understand what I wanted to do and why, he was not supportive, he was too wrapped up in himself. The worry that it was a cover for something he was doing. They say that when someone cheats on you they can start to project onto you what they are doing, so accusing you of cheating, his accusations that I was leaving him did concern me, but then it could be paranoia, it could be him actually leaving, I guess I will find out when I get back.


For the mean time though I have to finish my drink and push on to the site.

Since we got up at 0400 this morning all we have done is walk, the time is now 08:45, we have not seen the ship. I have virtually lost the will to live.

My feet hurt, no in fact the don’t hurt, they are excruciatingly painful, there killing me they hurt that much. I cannot move my foot with out sharp pains shooting up my legs.

I bought some new hiking boots a couple of months ago, as much as I virtually live in my boots, they had not fully warn in, an hour ago I changed into my old ones, there water resistance has definitely been their down fall over the last few months of there life, and now there comfort has been their best point, we will not need to go into the water until we see the boat.

Right now the only thing I want to do is stop walking, sit down, no lay down in my nice comfy bed and relax. These thoughts are not helping. The pain in my feet searing through me, my back a dull ache. “Lets have a break.”

There is a big flat stone directly to my right, Alex and I head straight for it.

Back at home a hard surface like this would not be comfortable; I would probably refuse to sit on it. Right now though as long as I am off my feet I do not care. THE BIGGEST SURPRISE? This rock is oooooo so comfy. How had I under estimated the comfort of the rock?

When I chose this rock to sit on I was going to grab the chocolate bar out of my bag. Instead I have decided I am going to lay back over the rock. As I do this my back clicks and pops and cracks, as much as each pop and crack is a little painful the relief is instant and I now don’t want to move, I might never move from this spot.

My feet are pulsing, they feel like the cartoon that hit their thumb and their thumb grows and shrinks ever second. I am starting to feel light headed.

It takes everything in me to sit up, my light-headedness just getting worse. After a few seconds it settles and I am back to normal. The feeling of tired returns.

I hardly realise my hand is in my bag, let alone that it has pulled out the bar of chocolate. I am sat on this very comfortable rock un wrapping the chocolate, staring out at the horizon. The water is touching the sky the greenish blue water barely distinguishable from the light blue of the sky. Not a cloud in sight either. The sun is right in front of us, above where I am staring so my eyes are still able to see without hurting, or the damage of staring at the sun does.

This chocolate tastes so good. The creamy rich texture of Bourneville chocolate. The first 3 bites I did not taste they were just greedily bitten off, I assume chewed before swallowed. This fourth bite of chocolate I taste, really taste it, and the flavour fills my mouth.

I am now happy and relaxed; who would have thought that chocolate could be so magical? My feet are still pulsing away but I don’t feel it at the moment, I could not care. My eyes are still focused on the horizon however I am not really seeing.

A few bites of chocolate and I actually feel human, I am actually looking and seeing the horizon, not because it is pretty but because there is a black dot on it. Not right on the edge of the horizon, but floating a few miles in, most boats have a line, which follows them, like a plane in the sky the boats leave one in the water. This boat I can see does not have a oooo my brain can not think of the word. But it does not have it, meaning the engines are not on

I have imagined this moment so many times over the last few weeks. I have seen myself swimming out to be the first on it, I have seem myself calling my boyfriend to tell him we have seen it, I have even seen my self jumping for joy.

What I did not imagine was how since my arm lifted to point at it, I have just sat here. I am too tired to do any of the above. So I just sit here. Alex has been doing the same, its now I realise I have butterflies in my tummy. I would never have thought that the feeling of joy would slowly buddle up whilst I sat on a hard rock.

I can hardly contain the excitement. I am sat here rigid with it. I turn my head towards Alex who turns towards me. And we both beam at each other. I let out a woop of excitement and wiggle slightly on the seat.

I feel better for that.

this last month has been the biggest wirl wind of my life.

to start with we found the ship, and yes it was the correct one. aboard the ship were captain logs (dairy) accounting for most of the actions of the ship and its crew, right up to the date it went missing. There were also huge crates in the cabin hold which were typical of that era for the transportation of banana's.

not even a week after leaving my partner was calling me begging to get back with me. At the time i did not know what to say, I told him we would speak about it when i got back. well since then my inbox has been filled up on a daily bases with his messages.

At first I read them as soon as we got back to the base we had made out of the beach. For more than the last 3 weeks i have not even read them. Thankfully my mobile network provider records all of my text messages and i will be able to log onto the computer and have a look at them.

Very few messages have come from my friends and family, but those that have i have tried to reply. I am sure they will understand that i have been busy all day and that in the evenings its all i can do to stay awake long enough to cook and eat. Alex and myself ahve both been the same.

According to one of the text messages my mother sent me, i had been on the television. not for long, apparently i was so absorbed in what i was doing that i bent down to pick something up and the camera got a great shot of my bottom before i rose back up to reveal a big book.

I did not check my phone the day we found the Captains log, infact i did not check it for the next week. the captains log was just too interesting. when i finally checked my phone it took a little figuring out, but eventually i managed to place the day the tv cameras had been pointing at me. it was the day Alex had passed the Captains log up to me from his under deck sleeping quarters.

Alex and I who had not seen the footage imagioned the reaction of the world. In our over tired state we did not need the Ciders to put us into fits of giggles as we reenacted our actions, the reactions of the viewers and our bosses as we found and explored avidly the greatest find of our lifes. infact probably the best thing we will ever find for as long as we live.

the worse thing about being out there was the lack of showers. I love my showers in the morning. and sea water is not nice tto have to wash in, we bought this soap that aparetly does not harm the enviroment, however it ra out very quickly. and so we had to relay on the sea water to be cleaning us by the end.

I could not tell you if we smelt bad or not but i can tell you some of the people i passed getting from the train to me house have pulled faces to imply a bad smell. infact a child even told me i smelt bad. ok fine he did not tell me i smelt bad, he told his mother that someone smells with that crunched up nose look. i felt so bad, i gave the mother a sorry look and as soon as the lights changed i marched on with my bag over my shoulder, wanting my shower.

Since I have been back from the expedition, I have started to get sick to the back teeth of pirates. The news is still filled with our discovery and the latest stages of the reports and its movements to the museum.

The news papers portray a dark and horrid front to the pirates. People are dressing up as pirates, Face book has a function where you can change your language into pirate. This new phenomenon is causing me grief. They are portraying pirates in completely the wrong light. People who were previously vampires are now pirates, I walk out my front door in the evening and someone is expressing their piratey nature with a “Arrrrrgh my hearty” loudly to passers by.

Children are carrying cutlets and swinging them around shouting “on guard you scallywag” there swords whipping the backs of my legs, the mothers saying sorry in a manor which causes doubt to their genuine concern.

The movies the Pirate of the Caribbean and Barbary pirate and many more have been on the TV in the evenings.

Even book shops have changed there displays to have Pirate books on display, Pirate hunter, vengency at port royal , and for children, how I became a pirate, long john silver etc.

I feel as if it is taking over my life, Pirates were not something which were as dark and nasty as some of the newspapers portray however they were something to be fear. They did not care how they stayed alive as long as they did and as long as they enjoyed themselves doing so.

People who lived in the ports were at the highest risk, and the maidens of a bar. The pirates were interested in purchasing supplies and having a few drinks and a good time with the ladies before they set sail for their next destination. Being in England the weather was too tepid for most pirates consequently our shores were not frequented as often as those on the Indian or African coasts.

In some cases the pirates promised great wealth to the apprentices they took on, and young men would start out with great intentions. The problem with being a pirate is that you live on the sea, you eat what the sea provides, fish and seaweed. There are very few chances to earn money, and so when you do port you do not have much copper for the correct copperage for the country you are in that time.

This is where the pirates get their obsession for gold, and their pieces of eight. Every country dealt in gold.

This misunderstanding of the pirates which seems to have been grown from the inlanders of England who never experienced Pirates is just annoying. I want it all to go away.

As I leave my house to meet up with some friends for the first time since being back, a man apparently appears from no where and growls “AHHHHHHH Me Hearty” to me and I realise it is not going to go away.