are” said Dad, as he traced the zigzag from the site of the old factory. “This is marked as The Run. Both Leslie and Rohan mentioned the Princess Cave and The Run in their journals. And we can see that the cave touches the water. At least it appears to on the map. But we have no way of knowing how accurate the map is or whether the scale is right. It could be quite misleading.”
Dad stood up and turned to the Team. “I think we need to get Barney involved in this. He has a personal interest and I’m sure he’ll be able to help. And we need another, more accurate map, perhaps an official one, one that we can compare to Rohan’s. Then we’ll be sure of what we’ve got.”
“We have all the admiralty maps. Like I said. Maybe they can help.” We all turned. Mrs. Mahoney stood proudly holding two large volumes. “The Navy left these with us in 1984” she said. “Can’t say I remember anyone ever asking for them. But I knew they’d be useful one day.” She dropped both volumes on the table with a thud. “I think you’ll find the Polperro area in volume two. You can borrow these as well, but be warned, I keep good records and I’ll be wanting them both back this coming week. And the journals too, mind you. And I’ll be wanting a full accounting of what you find and what happens.”
“That’s great” said Dad. “Thanks Mrs. Mahoney. We’ll treat them with care. And we’ll keep you posted. Let’s roll gang. We’ll go pick up Barney and then dig into the maps after dinner.” We all stared at each other, surprised. Time had flown and it was already 4.30pm. Mrs. Mahoney must have blown a fuse to let us stay in the library so long after closing time. We were probably lucky to get out alive. But we could tell she was pretty interested in the story. I guess that’s why she let us stay.
We trekked back along the path to Polperro, Max and George hauling the books of maps, Dad carrying the journals. The sun was low and the sky had turned purple. The ocean looked oily and black, with long, low swells rolling by until they spiked up suddenly on the run into the Maw, and crashed and swirled white around the Rocks of Gold. In the distance we could see a large tanker, pushing slowly west towards Ireland. I marveled again at how pretty it all appeared. Who would ever believe the secrets it held and how deadly it could be?
We were excited by what we had found. Dad said that we had done far better than he had hoped and, with some luck, who knows what else we might discover. Even though we were getting a little tired of all the searching at the library, Dad’s encouragement raised our spirits. And we were all starving. Amos seemed to be a great cook and we were looking forward to dinner. Especially George.
We arrived back in Polperro around six o’clock. Barney’s head was visible, bobbing up and down on his boat. We walked out along the seawall to tell him about our afternoon discoveries, and to ask if he could come for dinner and help us check the maps. Barney was busy mopping the deck of the Good Myrtle, but he was pleased to see us and excited to hear about the maps and journals. “Aye” he agreed “I be pleased to come te dinner. And I be right pleased that ye askin’ me fer help. Thank ye fer that, fer this be somethin’ close te me heart, me bein’ an Applegate and all.”
Amos cooked another fine dinner. Cod this time. Fresh and fried in a sweet batter. Garlic mashed potatoes and tons of butter, golden pumpkin and long green beans in a sweet chili sauce. Even Milo was surprised. “Amos!” he yelled. “This is great! Why ya hidin’ out here in the boondocks? Come ta Noo York and we’ll set up in Tribeca. Beat out that De Niro place like candy. Yeah!” Milo was over the top, but we all laughed and agreed it was a great meal. Amos chuckled as he served Barney a third helping. “I think Barney might be bit tired of his own cooking” laughed Mum. Barney nodded and winked at her then plowed into Amos’s huge serve.
After George finished everyone else’s bread pudding we gathered in front of the fire, Milo groaning and rubbing his tummy. Dad pulled the coffee table close by Barney’s easy chair and spread out Rohan’s map. Barney’s eyes widened. Then Dad paged steadily through Volume 2 of the Admiralty Maps. “I think this might be it” he said “Plymouth, Bournemouth, Polperro! No, that’s not it. The scale’s too large.”
Dad turned a few more pages. “Ah, we’re down at the fine detail here. Moving west along the coast we have South Hampton, Bournemouth, Torquay, Plymouth, Polperro. Spot on!” Dad quickly laid the book open on the coffee table. “George, could you bring that lamp over?” he asked. We positioned the lamp over the top of the table, the bright light shining directly onto the admiralty map.
“We’ll need to check the maps carefully against each other” said Dad. “Let’s start by putting Rohan’s map behind the admiralty map. You can see that these official maps are produced on a translucent sheet, so they can be used on light tables on ships. They’re made from plastic of some sort I think, so we should be able to see the darker writing and features of Rohan’s map if we place it underneath.” Dad picked up Rohan’s map and slipped it behind the Admiralty map. Rohan’s map showed clearly through the plastic sheet. Dad jiggled Rohan’s map to and fro and up and down then twisted it sideways a little.
“Got it!” he said. “The coastlines don’t quite line up and the scales are different, but it’s close enough. Let’s take it from the western edge, left to right.”
Dad’s finger traced slowly across the map. “The Govett. Pipers Heights. The Neck. They’re all there. See how much bigger Polperro is on the Admiralty map. The town is much larger and there are more roads.”
Dad’s finger kept moving along the coast. “There’s the parking lot above the town. Point Perdition and the Shallows - the Shallows cover a larger area on the later map - and all the new wrecks are shown. There are the Annie Rose and the U467. The Duc de Bourbon isn’t marked, but there’s a new one off Blind Bluff. The HMS Wolverine, not far from the Paulus.” Dad looked at Barney. “What about the Wolverine, Barney? Was she a warship? Was she sunk during the war?”
“Nope” replied Barney. “She not be sunk durin’ the war but she be a warship fer sure. A destroyer she was. Built in Hull in ‘34. Saw lots o’ action too. Mostly on the Ruskie convoys in the 40’s. Run right round te Murmansk she did. But no, she be an old lady by 1978, and so they be scuttlin’ her in the new marine park. She be a boon te divers and fishermen ever since.”
Dad turned back to the maps, his finger moving east. “Smugglers Cove. Shell Beach. Long Nose Point. You can see where the lighthouse is marked on the naval map. It’s high on the spine of Long Nose Point, quite a way from where the beacon is marked on Rohan’s. The Shallows. There are the Baron of Hull and the Rocks of Gold. The Maw and the Gannett. But no Silken Purse or Princess Cave. Neither is the Run marked on the admiralty map, and of course there’s no sign of the lost dories. We still have the Kaurhole between Long Nose Point and Wilson’s Bluff, but the maps show a huge difference in the locations of the factory. Rohan’s map shows the factory as being much closer to the coastline. Barney, could you help us again? What do you know about the factory and the Kaurhole?”
By this time Barney had his pipe going like a steam train and a cloud of blue smoke hung above the lamp. Barney took a last puff and leaned forward. “Well I bain’t be knowin’ much about the factory. Just that it be in ruins. Bin like that since I kin remember. But it do be right close on Long Nose Point. Why, ye kin see it clear from the Smugglers Cove. I be thinkin’ them Navy lads mebbe makin’ their map wrong and the factory not be where they put it.” He paused and took another puff. “But I do be knowin’ about the Kaurhole. The Kaurhole be at the heart o’ the maelstrom. The sea be runnin’ hard through the Maw and it sweeps round and through the Rocks inte the Kaurhole. What with the current, the wind and the shallers, the water turns inte the Kaurhole and like te forms a whirlpool. A vortex some would call it, and if the Maw don’t take ye then the Kaurhole will. And if ye be sucked down it kin jam ye under the rocks and ye be lost fer good. We all stay well clear o’ the Kaurhole.”
“Could there be a cave there?” asked Dad. “Rohan’s map shows the Princess Cave meeting the water just there.”
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br /> “Nay” said Barney. “At most it be a ledge under the rocks. Te be sure ‘tis hard te get close by te see it clear, but on a fine day in the early mornin’, if ye be standin’ high on Wilson’s Bluff, ye kin see the dark o’ the Kaurhole. But there be no cave. Jest a vicious wash and deep ledges under the water.”
There was a lengthy silence as we all contemplated the maps. Which one was correct? Was either one correct? It seemed likely that the Admiralty map was more accurate. They were professional mapmakers after all. But then, Leslie and Rohan had been experienced professional seaman. And they had lived all their lives in this area. There had to be something in it, but who was right?
“Purtaph’s daughter was called Jawali Kaur. Like the Kaurhole.” We all looked around. “You know” said Charlie. “In the journals! He called her his princess. She went to London.”
George sneered at Charlie. “What would you know?”
“Well at least I can read George. That’s what Purtaph called his daughter. It said so in Leslie’s journal.” Charlie was clearly grumpy. “All you think about is tomato sauce.”
“Wait a second” interrupted Dad in an excited