10x05 - Duc It Out

[bunniefuu]

NARRATOR:
Tonight on
The Curse of Oak Island...

Oh, there we go.

GARY:
Wow. The heck is that?

It was very common
during the middle 1700s.

CORJAN:
In 1746,
King Louis XV sent two ships

to Oak Island where they
later created the Money Pit.

RICK:
If we can find original works

at the base of this shaft,
it may solve the mystery.

Oh, what's that?
Whoa, whoa. What's that?

STEVE:
That's a view down the tunnel.

Is it possible that
this tunnel could lead

to finding the treasure?

The answer
is unequivocally "yes."

NARRATOR:
There is an island
in the North Atlantic

where people
have been looking for

an incredible treasure
for more than 200 years.

So far, they have found
a stone slab

with strange symbols
carved into it,

man-made workings
that date to medieval times

and a lead cross whose origin

may be connected
to the Knights Templar.

To date, six men have d*ed
trying to solve the mystery.

And, according to legend,

one more will have to die before
the treasure can be found.

-RICK: Morning, sir.
-Morning, Rick. How's it going?

-How are you?
-How was your weekend?

I see your weekend was
quite constructive.

-Oh, yeah.
-It looks a lot different
than it did.

PAUL:
Yeah, it did, eh?

-Why don't we
go take a look, then?
-Sure.

NARRATOR:
As another productive
and hopeful day

begins on Oak Island,

Rick Lagina arrives at
the historic Money Pit area.

There, he is greeted
by Paul Cote

of Dumas Contracting Limited
for an update

on the most ambitious
operation that he,

his brother Marty and their team

have ever commissioned
in the hopes of

finally solving
a 227-year-old treasure mystery:

the reconstruction of
the so-called "Garden Shaft."

The fill was, uh, backfilling
in back into the shaft,

so we had to put some planks
in this corner right here.

This corner was, uh,
those two-by-sixes missing,

so we added
some of those in there.

-So far so good.
-Yeah.

NARRATOR:
The 80-foot-deep structure,

which the fellowship
unearthed in 2017,

was initially believed to be
a 19th-century searcher shaft

until wood samples,

taken this year
from a depth below 50 feet,

were carbon-dated
to the early 18th century.

IAN:
We've sampled wells
within the Money Pit area,

and we do have
some chemistry back from this.

NARRATOR: But that was
only the beginning

of promising revelations
suggesting it could be

connected to
the original Money Pit.

We found, uh, gold in,
uh, the Garden Shaft.

(laughter)

So, today's work, what-what's
that going to entail?

So, today, we're gonna
finish closing up

the, uh, shaft structure.

And then, uh, we're gonna
seal it up with some plastic.

Is this gonna be the deck?

That's your top elevation,
right here.

-Okay.
-There's gonna be 16 inches

of concrete for
five feet around.

Like that should
hold everything together

and seal everything
nice and tight.

And this elevation should
be just even with your pad.

NARRATOR:
Over the next six weeks,

the team from Dumas
will construct

a concrete foundation
around the top

of the existing shaft
and then proceed to work

with representatives
from Irving Equipment Limited

to drain, excavate and refurbish

the old 80-foot-deep structure.

As they progress downward,

a new waterproof, wooden shaft
will be constructed

with ladders and platforms
at eight-foot intervals.

The team will also be able
to conduct lateral drilling,

and potential tunneling,
off the main shaft

in order to look for
adjacent structures,

voids and the believed valuables

that people have been
searching for since 1795.

It's the first time

the fellowship has
physically ventured underground.

So, you know,
Rick's "eyes and boots."

We're gonna try and do that,
as opposed to things

we've tried previously.
I think what we're gonna find

at the bottom
will be a surprise.

Not only does it let us
get down underground

in the Money Pit for the very
first time after ten years...

-Yep.
-...but this shaft might be

very, very important
for furthering

our understanding of where
the original Money Pit might be.

You're underground where
for 227 years

people were searching for
answers for the mystery.

-Yeah.
-And now, finally,
we're gonna be underground

doing the same thing.

So, I'm taking up time.

I'm gonna let you
get to your business.

-All righty, thank you, Paul.
-Yep, thank you.

RICK:
We'll let your team
get back to work.

PAUL:
Okay.

NARRATOR:
As the team from Dumas

proceeds with operations
in the Money Pit area,

Marty Lagina arrives on Lot 32,

located southwest of
the triangle-shaped swamp.

-Hello, people.
-JACK: Hey, Marty.
-GARY: Hey, Marty.

NARRATOR: It is here where
archaeologist Laird Niven

has been conducting a methodical
investigation after the team

recently found a number
of artifacts that could predate

the discovery
of the Money Pit in 1795.

Curiously, this is the same area

where over the last two years

the team has found
compelling evidence

of an old ship's wharf,

along with
an ornate lead cargo bag seal,

which scientific testing
has identified

to be of possible French origin.

So, you finding anything?
Or is there any illuminations

shed on what's going on here?

We have evidence that
unrecorded people were here.

So, there's
some unrecorded activity.

-That's one of
the positive things.
-Okay.

Which could point to more
unrecorded earlier activity...

-MARTY: Yes.
-...somewhere else on the lot.

Okay, there's a good point.

Yeah. There were so many
areas on Lot 32,

we pulled up finds
from the 1700s, mate.

Yeah.

This is the type of site,
mate, that tells you

there's more to
Lot 32 than we know.

Yeah, I mean, we need to know
why they were here.

-Yeah.
-MARTY: Yeah.

There's a lot going on
that we weren't aware of.

Yeah, we've only just started
searching near here.

GARY:
Yeah, 'cause it's a long way
from the Money Pit.

-Yeah, yeah.
-GARY: Okay, mate.

We'll try and keep
you busy somewhere else.

LAIRD:
We'll have more digging to do.

MARTY:
All right, oh, I'm sure.

This island, every time
you dig, you find something.

-LAIRD: Yeah.
-I mean, it's
really quite astounding.

All right. See you guys later.

GARY:
Let's go make
some more discoveries.

NARRATOR:
As the team continues
to investigate Lot 32,

-back in the Money Pit area...
-TERRY: J-15.25.

This could get interesting
real quick, Charles.

-Let's hope.
-Real quick.

-Hey, Craig.
-Hi, guys.
-Hi, Craig. How you doing?

-Good. How's it going?
-Good.
-Not too bad.

NARRATOR:
Just 54 feet south
of the Garden Shaft,

Craig Tester,
geologist Terry Matheson

and Oak Island historian
Charles Barkhouse

are supervising the core
drilling operation

in borehole J-15.25,

a borehole where they are
hoping to once again intercept

a tunnel that was recently
discovered some 103 feet deep,

and also determine
just where it may be heading.

Just, uh, mopping up here
on the last few feet

above the supposed tunnel.

Yeah, he's right at
98 feet right there, so...

he's just,
just above it, right now.

TERRY:
Oh, wow. That's fantastic.

We are in the tunnel.

NARRATOR:
Over the past month...

Look at that, that's
a 45-degree cut right there.

NARRATOR:
...the team has encountered

this wood-cribbed structure
on two separate occasions.

And have carbon-dated it
to as early as the 17th century.

They've also obtained both
video and sonar data inside it,

suggesting that it may be
heading toward the Garden Shaft.

If we find the tunnel here,

if it's going more north
towards the Garden Shaft,

it may make
a big difference on where

we pursue with the Garden Shaft.

We may want
to tunnel out of there.

A lot riding on this.

Sure. It's just precise
direction and dialing in.

Yeah.

-What do we got?
-Uh, 102 and a half.

-102 and a half.
-Thank you.

NARRATOR:
Now, as they drill five feet
closer to the Garden Shaft,

they are hoping
to not only confirm

their previous findings

but also attempt to determine

if it may contain
something of great value.

Let's, uh, take
a quick look here.

I don't see any chips or chunks.

102, so we would be just above

any tunnel that
we are aiming for.

It's a little interesting,
but I think it's natural.

Now the next core is
gonna tell the truth here.

The next core should
tell the tale, absolutely.

We'll see what comes.

RICK:
I'm on a roller-coaster ride

with the drill program
every year.

There's always hope
that a feature that you find

may yield some
significant data point,

but let's not
get ahead of ourselves.

Let's stay the course

and extract all the information

and then move on.

CHARLES:
We have a core.

That's looking
pretty interesting.

Thank you.

Okay, let's see what kind
of surprises we have in here.

-Okay.
-CHARLES: Wood.

-TERRY: We got some wood,
gentlemen.
-We have wood.

-Right here.
-There's a confirmation for us.

-Well, we have wood
all the way down here.
-Right there.

-CRAIG: Amazing.
-SCOTT: Excellent.

TERRY: There's a confirmation
for us. It didn't grow there.

NARRATOR:
At the Oak Island Money Pit,

Craig Tester
and members of the team

have just obtained more evidence

of a wooden tunnel
some 103 feet deep

that they believe

could be related to
the nearby Garden Shaft.

Okay, we've got a bottom
that is in situ and natural.

And then we've got
a confirmation

of a tunnel
is what that's telling me.

SCOTT:
We have wood
all the way down here.

-Quite a bit of it here.
-TERRY: Yeah.

Mike, how deep were you when,
uh, you stopped to pull out

and then it dropped out on you?

107.

And it felt open below that,

but where exactly
I picked that up?

Somewhere between 103 and 105.

-SCOTT: Well, good job
for hitting it.
-TERRY: Absolutely.

And we're only, what,
five or seven feet away

from our other hits?

Do we want to leave casing here
and run a sonar?

If we do get a good sonar image,
we can try

to get a, uh, camera down there.

Then try the camera, yeah.

Yeah, no, I agree. Let's do it.

MARTY:
So, lo and behold,
J-15.25 does hit wood

but more to the point,

a void below the wood,
an open tunnel most likely.

So, we're gonna run sonar in
there and see what it can see.

We have to discover
more about it so we can say,

is it a searcher tunnel?

Is it a depositor's tunnel?

If it's within our power
to find out,

we need to do so.

Okay, like, I think
we got a plan.

Collect the wood, which you
already did for possible C-14.

Tomorrow, sonar.

And I'm gonna head back
to research,

-but keep me abreast.
-We'll keep you up-to-date,
yeah.

-CRAIG: Okay. Thank you, guys.
-TERRY: See you later, Craig.

NARRATOR:
The following morning...

All right, mate.

-You can see the area
where it's been cleared out.
-Yeah.

NARRATOR:
...Gary Drayton

and Jack Begley return
to Lot 32, west of the swamp...

All the targets
are all in there.

You can see
all the flags from here.

NARRATOR:
...to continue searching
for additional clues

and valuables
related to the remains

of a possible ancient wharf
that the team has found nearby.

Well, let's see what
these targets are, mate.

I'm hoping for something good.

Okay, first flag's
over here, mate.

When a lot is cleared,
I usually go in first,

and I flag the area.

Meaning I do a methodical grid,

a search pattern of the lot.

(beeping)

Just there, mate.

And then I go in with Jack,
and we dig all the flags.

And you never know
what's going to come out

of your next hole.

I'll try pinpointing it and
then grabbing it out of there.

(beeping)

You're on it.

-Ooh.
-That's a piece of something.

That could be interesting.

It's got a curve on it, so it
could be, like, a barrel hoop.

JACK:
You think it's connected
to the wharf somehow?

GARY:
If it was a barrel hoop,
for sure.

NARRATOR:
A possible barrel hoop?

And near an area
where the team has

previously found
evidence of an ancient wharf,

as well as
a French cargo bag seal?

If Gary is correct that
he and Jack have just found

part of a cargo barrel,

just what kind of cargo
might it have once contained?

I would imagine
that's just the type of thing

that would've been unloaded
and put ashore. A barrel.

Everything was in barrels
back in the days.

-Nails, coins.
-Yeah.

So, we'll bag it.

Anytime that we find
a piece of iron

that's interesting,
it goes to Carmen Legge.

So, I'm hoping Carmen Legge
can shed some light

on what size barrel this is

because the smaller the barrel,

the more chance
it had treasure in it.

All right, mate.
That's that bagged.

Next flag's there.

NARRATOR:
While Gary and Jack
continue searching on Lot 32...

-PAUL: Hi, guys.
-SCOTT: Hey, Paul.

PAUL:
Should be all set up to go.

SCOTT:
Okay, great.

NARRATOR:
In the Money Pit area,

Oak Island historian
Paul Troutman

has prepared a sonar device
in order for the team

to investigate if the tunnel
they have encountered

some 103 feet deep
in borehole J-15.25

is heading in the direction
of the Garden Shaft.

PAUL:
Okay, so I texted Rick.
He should be on the way.

We'll get eyes on this hole.

Let's hope
we get a positive image.

-Yeah.
-SCOTT: Let's try it and see.

-We'll go very slow.
-Okay.

Want me to spin it for you?

SCOTT:
Yeah, if you want to unravel it.

-STEVE: Ready?
-SCOTT: I'm just gonna
lower it down.

NARRATOR:
The Impact Subsea ISS-360
sonar device

works by emitting
high-intensity radio pulses

that can detect
underwater structures

or voids up to 295 feet
below the surface.

Still in the casing right now.

So, there's 103 foot eight.

Okay, yeah. We're coming out.

We're-we're almost out.

Yeah, we're still right on
the edge of the casing.

It's getting better.

We're at the bottom.

We're starting
to see an outline.

-Want to go a little bit
further?
-PAUL: Yeah.

SCOTT:
I'm gonna go down
a couple more inches.

-Whoa.
-PAUL: Look at that.
Oh, my God.

STEVE:
Ho-Hold right there, Scott.
That's a great image.

I mean, I-I would say
we're pretty close

to being in the center
of the tunnel.

-That could be a wall, right?
-PAUL: It looks like.

-It's fantastic.
-SCOTT: Yeah.

STEVE:
Based on this, we can't see
the western wall.

It's probably blocked
by something.

But I'd say that's the tunnel
projection. Do you guys agree?

I mean, it is
very tunnel-looking.

Yeah, right angles
don't occur in nature like that.

-Hey, guys.
-OTHERS: Hey, Rick.

PAUL:
So, we have an image now.

It looks like a tunnel here,
potentially.

It's a very defined
linear object.

And this looks like
the outline of a tunnel.

Yeah, I'd say
that's apparent, yeah.

And we're just catching the side
edge of it, it looks like.

How far are we from where
we put the sonar down last time?

STEVE:
I would say 15 feet.

We can project an eastern wall,
and it's pointed at

the Garden Shaft
in a north-northwest projection.

NARRATOR:
Could the team be correct that
they have further confirmation

that the tunnel
is heading near the area

of the Garden Shaft, where gold
has also been detected?

If so, could it offer the team
another possible pathway

to solving
the Oak Island mystery?

I think at this point,
every little bit of information

is important, so we should
absolutely put the camera down.

We have to follow this.
We have to try to understand

the relationship between this
and that Garden Shaft.

-SCOTT: For sure.
-PAUL: We'll give it a sh*t.

-RICK: Thank you. Appreciate it.
-STEVE: See you later.

NARRATOR:
As the sonar investigation is
concluded at the Money Pit...

GARY:
Let's see what this is, mate.

(beeping)

Just there.

NARRATOR:
...Jack Begley
and Gary Drayton work to unearth

what they hope will be another
important discovery on Lot 32.

GARY:
You're a beast.

Let's see if
you're in the right area.

(beeping)

-You think it's more that way?
-Yep, I do.

-Let's see.
-(beeping)

It's just there, mate.

In the base of that wall there.

Man, you're dripping
some gravy now. (laughing)

JACK:
Oh, there we go.

-Can you feel it?
-I think this is it
right here, yeah.

-Geez.
-Careful, mate.

There we go.

Oh, wow, that's cool, mate.

-I thought it was a spike.
-Yeah, no.

This was made
like that on purpose.

NARRATOR: On Lot 32,
near the southwestern

border of the swamp,

Gary Drayton and Jack Begley

have just made what could be
an important discovery.

GARY:
You see all
the square shank on it?

I think this is
some kind of tool.

It might be
some kind of chopping tool?

-Like a small scythe.
-Oh, yeah.

NARRATOR:
A possible scythe,
found on Lot 32?

Such tools have been used
for agricultural purposes

for thousands of years.

However, they were also known

to be common tools
on sailing vessels

that ventured between
Europe and North America

between the 15th
and 18th centuries.

What I like about this,
mate, is the size of it.

It's something that could've
been carried on the ship.

If it is some kind of tool.

Remember,
we got a potential wharf there.

Just the sort of thing that you
would carry here on the boat.

When you come ashore,
you're gonna do stuff

on an island, you would need
a tool or an implement.

I do believe this came from
somewhere else, mate, for sure.

JACK:
Any idea on date?

Anytime you see a square-shanked

fastener or tool,

then you know
you're in pre-1800s.

NARRATOR:
Could Gary be correct
that this artifact may

predate the discovery
of the Money Pit in 1795?

If so, could it offer
more evidence

of a possible ancient wharf
nearby?

And perhaps be related
to the lead cargo bag seal

that is believed to be
of French origin?

-This is what we're
looking for in this area.
-Yep.

This could show
that there's some sort

-of a work area related
to the wharf.
-Yeah.

JACK:
I think we need
to bag and tag it.

Yeah, oh, for sure.

This has got a story to tell.

NARRATOR:
Two days later...

-MARTY: Hello, folks.
-DOUG: Hey, folks.

-Hi, everyone.
-MARTY: Corjan, hello.

Charlotte, nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you, too.

You are all well aware
of the serious attempt

we've made in this past year
to create a research team.

And, uh, today we have
special guests

Corjan Mol
and Charlotte Wheatley.

They are the France team.

NARRATOR: In light of recent
discoveries made on the island,

which may date
to the mid 18th century,

including the Garden Shaft,

and the potential
ship's wharf on Lot 32...

-Those are orders
from d'Anville, right?
-Yeah.

NARRATOR:
...as well as documentation

uncovered in
the British archives

by Marty and Alex Lagina,

Oak Island researchers
Corjan Mol

and his colleague
Charlotte Wheatley

are presenting new information
on how these clues

may connect to
the Oak Island mystery.

Today they are here,
remotely, to make a presentation

about the Duc d'Anville
expedition

and possible associations

to what happened here
long, long ago.

So, what have
you two come up with?

For this presentation,
the question is this one.

Could we find
any relation between

Oak Island,
and perhaps Mahone Bay,

and the 1746 expedition
of a French armada

led by Monsieur
de La Rochefoucauld,

better known as
the Duc d'Anville?

So, let me share some background
information with you all.

So, in June 1745,

Fortress Louisbourg in Canada,
which was, you know,

the largest m*llitary structure
outside France in North America,

unexpectedly
went into English hands.

The French weren't very good
losers, and in response,

they formed the largest armada
to sail

from France to
the Atlantic coast of Canada

and it was led
by the Duke of Anville.

NARRATOR:
When King Louis XV
dispatched the French armada

with orders to reclaim
Nova Scotia in 1746,

the admiral in charge,
known as the Duc d'Anville,

was a member
of the Rochefoucaulds,

a family of nobles

who had ties to
the Knights Templar

dating back to
the 11th-century Crusades.

Unfortunately,
the armada's efforts

to reclaim control
of Nova Scotia failed.

I found eight pages
of what looks like a ship's log.

NARRATOR:
However, in 2017, Doug Crowell

found a partial ship's log
in the provincial archives

stating that d'Anville
had carried out a second mission

somewhere south of Halifax
that succeeded.

DOUG:
"September 8th,
it has been agreed that

"a deep pit be dug
and treasure securely buried.

"The pit to have
a secret entrance

by a tunnel from the shore."

I mean, a great quantity
of treasure, and...

and they-they appear
to be in this bay.

Before the armada sailed
from France

to the other side of the ocean,
they sent two ships ahead,

-and that's where
we start our story.
-Okay.

So, here is the documentation
from the French archives.

King Louis sent two ships,
the Aurore and le Castor.

These were officially classified
as King's Ships, which meant

that they had personal orders
from King Louis XV of France.

The documentation mentions here
that the king, having given

a particular destination
to l'Aurore and le Castor,

demanding that they depart
in the first days of March 1746.

And you can see it
in the text on the left,

he really says
"a certain location,"

which isn't made known anywhere
else in the documentation.

But Louis XV, he says something
about this destination.

Uh, "The destination
that will be given to them

requires an increase
in the standard crew."

This means that the Aurore
will have 250 men

and the Castor will have 180.

The Aurore and the Castor
arrived on the Acadian Coast

on June 4, 1746 near Mahone Bay.

So, Corjan, the French sent two
rather large ships full of men.

What officially
did they accomplish?

According to
the records, nothing.

(laughing):
That doesn't make sense.

This is where I-I take off
my researcher hat

and put on my, uh, theorist hat.

And, uh, it's possible that they

were sent to check on Oak Island

and to check a location

where they later created
the Money Pit.

MARTY:
Well, that is
quite extraordinary.

RICK:
Well, it's certainly
thought-provoking.

I will say that.

NARRATOR:
In the Oak Island w*r room,

researchers Corjan Mol
and Charlotte Wheatley

have just presented new evidence

that French naval vessels
may have visited Mahone Bay

and possibly Oak Island in 1746,

just months before
the Duc d'Anville

reportedly led a mission to bury
a vast treasure in the area.

But the story continues.
We have documents from

one man who's called Duvigneau.

So, Commander Duvigneau
commanded

both the Aurore and the Castor.

So, these would be
the ship's logs, correct?

-Exactly.
-It's like a sort of
partial diary.

There is a part
where the captain

of the Aurore,
uh, is in this bay

and he doesn't want
anybody else to tell

anybody else that he's there.

That's what was written.

So, that, again,
is-is strange behavior.

Hmm.

Now, if you continue
to read the logs,

Duvigneau starts to
leave holes in his logs,

so the-the holes in his records
become bigger and bigger,

and then after
another gap in the journal,

the Aurore and the Castor
sail home to France.

They were there for two months.

Hmm.

So, that's a long time
to do nothing.

Yeah.

What they did
is a very good question.

There are so many holes
in the journal,

it's hard to actually say.

MARTY:
Yeah.

What did they say
when they went back?

What did they do?

CORJAN:
On return to France,

these captains would submit
their journals to the admiralty,

to be stored in the records.

You know, the French were, and
are, meticulous record keepers,

so they demanded from
the captains their records.

And Duvigneau
went with a bigger crew,

where he is past Mahone Bay.

He puts a letter with
the submission of his records

in which he says,

"I will not speak to
anyone about this place,

but I'm obliged to send
my journal of navigation."

This is quite intriguing,
I must admit.

RICK:
All of that
is incredibly interesting.

The Duc d'Anville story,

the expedition to recapture

Louisbourg and the secret
mission from the king,

and the fact that two ships
were sent on ahead

for a secret deployment.

We've got ships
that are outfitted

with more men than are needed
to sail the ship.

Typical of Oak Island, it begs
more questions than answers.

But the questions
are quite interesting.

The only thing you do know
is that he was--

he had orders from the king
to conduct a-a secret mission.

A special m*llitary operation.

And-and yet he reports
none of it.

He-he reports neither
success nor failure.

Just, "I am not
going to speak of,"

quote, unquote, "this place."

Yes.

So, he did do something.

Exactly. That's the conclusion.

And one of the reasons this is
so interesting right now

is because some of the
carbon dates and even the dendro

that we've been getting
on the island here,

some of the dates in
the Money Pit area have been

coming up all in
that mid-1700s time range.

So, this seems to be
in-in that era,

so it makes it
extra interesting.

NARRATOR:
Could the mysterious
ship's logs written by crewmen

who served under the French
admiral Duc d'Anville

really be referencing
an operation

on Oak Island that was conducted

in order to prepare for
the burial of treasure in 1746?

Might that explain
the evidence of a wharf,

as well as the metal artifacts,

and the French cargo bag seal

that the team
has found on Lot 32?

And might they also be related
to the mid-18th-century tunnels

and the Garden Shaft
in the Money Pit,

where they've also detected
high traces of silver and gold?

MARTY:
The trip I took to England
fits in with Corjan Mol's theory

about the Duc d'Anville.

And so, is it possible that

that explains the deposit
of treasure on Oak Island?

Yes, it's possible.

-I enjoyed
the presentation a lot.
-Absolutely.

RICK:
There's a wonderful story here,
and I urge you

to continue the investigation.

And to that end,
thank you very much.

It's been an
incredible afternoon.

-CORJAN: Thank you.
-CHARLOTTE: Take care.

NARRATOR:
Later that afternoon...

CRAIG:
Carmen, come in.

Hello there. How are you again?

-Good.
-Carmen, how are you?

NARRATOR:
...Rick Lagina, Craig Tester

and Jack Begley
welcome blacksmithing expert

Carmen Legge
at the research center.

He has returned to
Oak Island in order to give

his analysis
of the believed scythe

and other metal objects
recently discovered on Lot 32.

Gary and I have already
recovered a lot

of iron objects from Lot 32.

And these are just
some of the odd objects

that we hoped you
could identify for us.

I-I won't preface it at all.
What do you think about that?

No, besides
a medieval golf club.

Oh.

RICK:
Wow.

NARRATOR:
In the Oak Island
Research Center,

blacksmithing expert
Carmen Legge

has just given his opinion
that the metal artifact

recently found on Lot 32

may have been used long ago to
transport cargo on Oak Island.

-That leaves so many
possibilities.
-Yeah, yeah.

I would have never guessed
barrel hoop, to start.

That's impressive.

Okay.

So, this piece was
also found on Lot 32.

JACK:
Wow.

180 gallons of whiskey?

-I guess.
-(laughter)

Would your average person
have a-a barrel this big?

So, what-what type of use...?

Like, would this be
a naval thing?

Why would you have such
a large barrel over on Lot 32?

JACK:
Wow. Any dates that
you can discern out of this?

Well, that's actually
really intriguing.

NARRATOR:
A second piece of
a large cargo barrel?

And found in the same area
where the team

has discovered evidence of
a possible ship's wharf,

as well as a lead bag seal
believed to be of French origin?

If so, has the team
uncovered more evidence

possibly connecting
the Duc d'Anville's mission

to bury a vast treasure in 1746
to the Oak Island mystery?

RICK:
We know that there was a lot
of m*llitary-associated items

found on the island.

When Carmen suggested
that this barrel

could have been as old as 1740,

well, 1740 is an "aha" date

because that, of course, is, uh,

right around the time
of the Duc d'Anville expedition.

Is it a possibility
that it could be connected

to some work on the island
associated with that expedition?

It's possible.

But we've a ways to go
to prove that.

That's incredibly enlightening.

You breathe life
into these artifacts

that, to us, are
somewhat lifeless.

And now it's come alive.

Well, as always,
we appreciate it.

CRAIG:
Thank you very much.

-(laughter)
-Nice.

CARMEN:
See you later.

-CRAIG: See you, Carmen.
-RICK: Take care.

NARRATOR:
The following day...

-RICK: Morning, guys.
-SCOTT: Morning, Rick.

-We're all set?
-Yes. We're all set to go.

NARRATOR:
...Rick Lagina joins
other members of the team

in the Money Pit area
to continue investigating

a believed 18th-century tunnel

some 103 feet deep
in borehole J-15.25,

a tunnel that
may not only be leading

toward the Garden Shaft

but potentially
the fabled treasure, as well.

We'll have a marker so you can

send it down
a couple inches at a time.

We'll be able to get
a good clear image.

All right,
let's put it down hole.

NARRATOR:
In order to see clearly
inside the tunnel

and identify whatever
it may contain,

the team is using
the Inuktun Spectrum 120

high-definition
underwater camera.

PAUL:
All right, send her down.

Down the hole.

NARRATOR:
The device, which features

a lens that can pan 360 degrees,

is also equipped with a number
of visual enhancement functions.

So, Paul, I'm going to stop
at 103 feet,

and from there we're
gonna pay close attention

to see where the edge
of the casing is.

Absolutely, yeah.

SCOTT:
We're in the water.

PAUL: Okay, slow it down
just a little bit there.

SCOTT:
We should be at 103. So, you're
still seeing the casing?

PAUL:
Okay, still-still seeing casing.
Now we're just coming out.

We're just coming out.
We're right on the side.

You're-- There's a casing?

Yep, we're-we're out
of the casing.

RICK:
It's really clear.

STEVE:
That's a good view.

PAUL:
Let me just see if
I can get around here.

Rotating.

RICK:
This is exciting
and so interesting

having finally found a feature
underground that we can track.

You don't have to infer
where it goes.

You can actually visualize it.

If you didn't know
you were in a tunnel,

you'd think you were
on the sea floor.

-Yep.
-Yep.

-RICK: Oh, no.
-STEVE: Yeah, still collapsing.

PAUL:
Some material just dropped
straight off, yeah.

Put your view downwards
a little bit and try.

-SCOTT: Whoa.
-STEVE: Whoa, what's that?

-Whoa, whoa, what's that?
-Right there, right there.

SCOTT:
That's broken wood right there.

RICK:
Wow.

- Where?
PAUL:
Right in front of you
on the left.

You can see the splinters.

STEVE:
Yeah, okay, I see it now.

NARRATOR:
It is an exciting moment
in the Money Pit area...

Let's rotate around
really carefully here.

NARRATOR: ...as Rick Lagina
and members of the team

are investigating a believed
18th-century tunnel

some 103 feet underground

that may be heading
toward the Garden Shaft

and, potentially,
the legendary treasure vault.

There's a timber right here.

PAUL:
Yeah, exactly, you can see
the splinters right there.

RICK:
That whole thing
could be a beam.

PAUL:
Looks like it.

All right, so we'll rotate
the camera around,

rotate the camera up and down,
try to get a better view.

So, let's go around.

RICK:
Really clear.

SCOTT:
Yep. It appears that we have

-basically a jumble of lumber
here from the collapse.
-RICK: Yep.

SCOTT:
You can see a lot
of sediment behind it.

You got wood splinters
coming down there.

This beam here.

This may be the post that was
holding this up right here.

-SCOTT: Yes.
-RICK: Yeah.

SCOTT:
Just lift it up
a little bit right there.

PAUL:
Let's rotate through.

STEVE:
Right there.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.

PAUL:
What is that right there?
That's interesting.

STEVE:
I think you can see-- look--
you can see down that.

PAUL:
Looks like there's an opening.

STEVE:
I would say so.

This is our opening
looking down the tunnel.

SCOTT:
Yep.

STEVE:
Can you look up
a little bit, Paul?

-SCOTT: Just pan it up.
-PAUL: Pan it up? Okay.

STEVE:
There's our beam.
There's our sidewall, maybe?

-PAUL: Yes.
-RICK: Wow.

PAUL:
Might it help if I turn on
the crosshair?

There we go.

STEVE:
Yeah, that made a difference.

-RICK: It's quite amazing.
-PAUL: Yeah.

So, here's what I see, and tell
me if you see something else.

So, do you guys think that
this could be two supports

holding up the tunnel
from completely collapsing?

Because you can tell that we are
looking down the tunnel.

-What do you think?
-I think that's what that is,
Steve. Y-You're right.

RICK:
This is an incredible feature.

-PAUL: Yes.
-RICK: It-it's awesome.

STEVE:
Yeah, this is
good data today.

RICK:
Oh, absolutely.

-I mean, this is an area
we've never really explored.
-Yes.

And, actually, every time we
drill a hole and hit the tunnel,

-we're getting closer
to the Garden Shaft.
-Yeah.

Is it possible that
this tunnel, if it were open,

could lead somewhere
where there's

some sort of original
depositional work?

The answer to that
is unequivocally "yes."

The camera imagery from
this work is quite stunning.

We are trying
to unravel a mystery.

Is it possible that this may
lead to an incredible discovery?

Of course. That's the hope.

It's always the hope
that some piece

of information is gonna lead us
to the Bravo Tango moment.

This is a ten in terms
of how it should inspire us

as we move forward
with the Garden Shaft.

We can't relinquish
the opportunities

that that Garden Shaft
might present to us, right?

So, to me,
when I see these pictures,

it inspires me to move forward.

I love seeing this.

Yes, yep.

This is very important,
and I think we should

do everything we can
to-to exploit it

and-and get as much,

glean as much information
from this as we can.

And, you know, we're
going to drill another hole

that will hopefully
find the why.

MARTY:
With all we know on this island,

any constructions
we're unaware of

in the Money Pit area
is exciting.

It appears like there's a tunnel
or something that was a tunnel

that goes towards
the Garden Shaft.

That shaft could be the key

to understanding
what happened here.

Now it's incumbent upon us
to do what we can do

to find the treasure,
to resolve the mystery.

So, what it tells me
is we can't quit.

-No, not today.
-Long as you're moving forward.

-Long as you're moving
sempre avanti.
-Yes.

-RICK: But, anyway, let's
finish our work and move on.
-PAUL: Okay.

NARRATOR:
As Rick, Marty, Craig
and the rest of the fellowship

conclude another
productive week on Oak Island,

they appear closer than ever
to not only identifying

just who was behind
the 227-year-old mystery

but also what was
so ingeniously hidden

at the bottom of the Money Pit.

Is it possible that
the Laginas and their team

have discovered
two pathways that could soon

lead them to
the ultimate discovery?

Or are they,
like the many searchers

who came before them,
bound for a much different fate?

Only time,
and more digging, will tell.

Next time on
The Curse of Oak Island...

-(horn blasting)
-RICK: It's an exciting day
because we are

-going to dig the Garden Shaft.
-That's a big machine.

We're excited
to be a part of it.

This year will be the year.

We hit the tunnel
that'll point it directly

towards the Garden Shaft.

Look at the core on this.

Wow. What the heck is that?
You're right.

LAIRD:
Something I've
never seen before.

It's such a "wow" thing.

There's just no way it's modern.

ED:
It does have some iconography.

It could be some sort
of religious object.

RICK:
Wow.