NaGeira’s Treasure is a geocache located on beautiful Bell Island. Geocaching has a tendency to lead you to places that simply amaze you, and such was true on the day that Allan and I went in search of this unburied treasure.
The legend is that Irish Princess Sheila NaGeira was rescued from a Dutch ship by Privateer Peter Easton. At the time of her rescue, Easton was under orders from Queen Elizabeth I to go with a fleet of ships to the new colony in Newfoundland, to install law in the new land. It wouldn’t be until much later that the Privateer would turn into a Pirate, who’s ships would end up raiding and plundering many English and foreign boats in other Newfoundland harbours.
Sheila escaped all of this, as she had fallen in love while a prisoner on Easton’s ships. She met and married Gilbert Pike, and they settled in Bristol’s Hope. The legend of Sheila grows bigger – it also claims that she was the first European to give birth on the shores of Newfoundland.
But where does the treasure story fit in here?
Perhaps it comes from the legends and tales of treasure maps leading to Easton’s base on nearby Kelly’s Island. For all the twists and intrigue, we were led to a geocaching adventure at NaGeira’s Treasure.
Parking our car near a cliff on Bell Island, we got out to meet a spectacular view. On and island known for it’s beauty (and minerals), we were greeted with a path leading to a magnificent sea stack.
A photo of the sea stack, and Allan.
A little weary of the course of the embankment, we remembered our rule: a fellow geocacher would never place the geocache in a location that would harm you. So down the embankment we went. We figured ground zero had to be near the bottom of that sea stack somewhere.
But as we descended the GPS began to point to another location. Towards what appeared to be a cliff face? Oh, wait… is that a hole in the rock? Is that a tunnel?! Simply Amazing!
What's that in the distance?
Creeping through the dark, dripping tunnel, we came out the other end to a peaceful beach. The GPS pointed us back into the tunnel? This at first seemed strange, but upon further inspection we discovered that with a little help from tippy toes and maybe a nearby stick or two, the find would be ours. Truly one of the best treasures we have ever found.
If you are in the area, and have an afternoon to spare, hop on the Bell Island ferry for your own treasure adventure, and try to remember the stories of Pirate Peter Easton who once ruled the coasts of Newfoundland and much of the Western Atlantic.
This cache is listed amongst our favorite caches, which can be found here. This geocache is certainly worth the voyage!
“Adventure is Out There”
-Allan and Kayla
