Original subtitles

IN NORTHERN JAMAICA, A STRANGE CASTLE

WHERE DOZENS OF TRAVELERS REPORTEDLY VANISHED.

THIS GUY WAS UP HERE,

WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO CROSS BY.

HE WAS KILLING PEOPLE.

WERE THEY THE VICTIMS OF A TWISTED MASS MURDERER

WHO LIVED INSIDE?

THAT IS A PIECE OF BONE RIGHT THERE.

OUR MODERN-DAY TECH...

THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THAT ANYBODY IN THE 1700s

WOULD BE ABLE TO GET IN THERE TO FIND A BODY.

...COULD FINALLY CRACK THIS CENTURIES-OLD CASE.

OH, MY GOSH, STEFAN.

AND A LEGENDARY CAVERN IN THE CALIFORNIA WOODS...

OH, WOW.

...THAT'S SAID TO HIDE A STASH OF GOLD

WORTH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

THAT IS CRAZY.

I'M SEEING SO MANY LITTLE NOOKS AND CRANNIES

THAT THEY COULD HAVE CRAWLED INTO.

WITH OUR REVOLUTIONARY IMAGING TOOLS...

- HERE WE GO. I'M GOING FOR IT. - YOU MADE IT IN.

: ...WE SET OUT TO FIND THE LONG-LOST TREASURE.

WHAT IS THAT? IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S SHINY.

OH, BOY, THERE IT IS.

BURIED DEEP BELOW THE EARTH'S SURFACE,

THERE ARE COUNTLESS UNSOLVED MYSTERIES.

AND TODAY, WE FINALLY HAVE THE TOOLS TO UNLOCK THEM.

THAT'S AMAZING.

IT'S SUPER DEEP!

I'M ROB NELSON, A SCIENTIST AND EXPLORER

INVESTIGATING OUR PLANET'S HIDDEN DEPTHS.

- GETTING DEEPER. - HOLY MOLY, STEFAN.

AND HELPING ME UNCOVER THESE SUBTERRANEAN SECRETS

IS TECH SPECIALIST STEFAN BURNS.

OH, MY GOD. LOOK AT THAT!

TOGETHER...

I GOT SOMETHING!

...WE ARE UNCOVERING NEW LEADS IN OUR QUEST

TO SOLVE EARTH'S MOST ENDURING MYSTERIES.

- THERE WE GO. - WHOO!

THESE ARE THE SECRETS OF THE UNDERGROUND.

Captions by VITAC-- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

PERCHED ATOP A DESOLATE HILL IN NORTHERN JAMAICA

SITS A CRUMBLING STONE STRUCTURE

THAT'S AT THE CENTER OF A DARK, UNSETTLING TALE.

IN THE LATE 18th CENTURY, MORE THAN 40 TRAVELERS

PASSING BY THIS CASTLE MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED.

THEY WERE BELIEVED TO BE THE VICTIMS

OF A SCOTSMAN NAMED LEWIS HUTCHINSON,

A COLD-BLOODED KILLER WHO LIVED INSIDE.

BUT HOW MUCH OF THIS STORY IS ACTUALLY TRUE?

AND IF IT IS MORE THAN JUST A MYTH,

WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE VICTIMS' REMAINS?

STEFAN AND I ARE HEADING INTO THE REMOTE COUNTRYSIDE

OF JAMAICA TO INVESTIGATE THIS CENTURIES-OLD CASE.

USING OUR HIGH-TECH TOOLS,

WE HOPE TO FINALLY DIG UP THE TRUTH.

THE PROBLEM IS NOBODY HAS FOUND ANY OF THE BODIES.

YEAH.

I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH I BUY INTO THIS WHOLE MYTH

OF THIS SCOTTISH SERIAL KILLER

UP IN THE HILLS OF JAMAICA,

BUT, I MEAN, IF THE RUMORS ARE TRUE,

THIS GUY IS ONE OF THE MOST PROLIFIC SERIAL KILLERS

IN THE WORLD.

AND THAT'S QUITE A CLAIM.

THE COMPETITION IS STIFF.

TOPPING THE LIST IS A WHO'S WHO OF MODERN HISTORY'S

MOST CHILLING NAMES.

THERE'S JOHN WAYNE GACY, A.K.A. THE KILLER CLOWN,

WHO WAS CONVICTED FOR THE DEATHS OF DOZENS OF YOUNG MEN.

THERE'S ALSO TED BUNDY, WHO IS BELIEVED TO HAVE CHARMED

AND MURDERED MORE THAN 100 WOMEN,

BUT, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE,

ONE LESS REMEMBERED NAME TOPS THE LIST.

DR. H.H. HOLMES, ONE OF AMERICA'S FIRST SERIAL KILLERS.

IN 1893, HOLMES LURED HIS VICTIMS INTO HIS

SPECIALLY CONSTRUCTED CHICAGO HOME,

ESSENTIALLY A HOUSE OF HORRORS

THAT CAME TO BE KNOWN AS THE MURDER CASTLE.

SO DOES LEWIS HUTCHINSON ALSO BELONG TO THIS INFAMOUS GROUP?

WE DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THIS MYSTERIOUS SCOTSMAN,

ONLY THAT HE EMIGRATED TO JAMAICA AND SETTLED

IN SAINT ANN PARISH IN THE 1760s.

BUT IT'S SAID THAT, LIKE H.H. HOLMES,

HE, TOO, WAS A DOCTOR, WHO, EERILY ENOUGH,

BUILT A CASTLE THAT BECAME A STAGE FOR HIS HEINOUS CRIMES.

THAT TWO-STORY STONE STRUCTURE, CALLED EDINBURGH CASTLE,

IS WHERE STEFAN AND I ARE HEADED TODAY.

THERE IS NOT A LOT OUT HERE.

FINDING THE PLACE IN THIS RURAL LAND ISN'T EASY.

LET'S GO THIS WAY A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.

HEY, WE'RE LOOKING FOR HUTCHINSON'S CASTLE.

RIGHT UP HERE.

EVENTUALLY, TWO FARMERS WORKING IN A NEARBY

SUGARCANE FIELD POINT OUT THE WAY.

THE MEN ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE HUTCHINSON LEGEND...

...AND THEY BELIEVE THAT THE VICTIMS' REMAINS

ARE STASHED UP THE ROAD IN A LARGE HOLE IN THE GROUND.

BUT FIRST, STEFAN AND I WANT TO CHECK OUT THE SITE

WHERE THE CRIMES REPORTEDLY TOOK PLACE.

WHERE IS THE CASTLE AGAIN?

UH-HUH, AND THE CASTLE IS UP ON TOP?

- YEAH, IT'S UP THERE. - ALL RIGHT.

OKAY. THANK YOU, APPRECIATE IT.

I GUESS IT'S UP HERE SOMEWHERE.

LET'S GO UP THIS WAY.

A LONG WAY TO HIKE UP THIS HILL.

OH, THERE WE GO.

NOT MUCH OF IT LEFT.

MAYBE THERE'S MORE ON THE BACKSIDE.

YEAH.

LOOK AT THIS.

HERE'S THE GUN SLIT THAT HE SUPPOSEDLY SHOT OUT OF.

FOR AN OLD MEDIEVAL CASTLE,

IT WOULD BE FOR ARROWS AND BALLISTA,

BUT IN HIS CASE,

THE LEGEND GOES THAT HE FIRED ON PEOPLE,

SO HE'S KIND OF HIDDEN, ALMOST, BUT HE CAN SEE YOU.

IT'S SAID THAT HUTCHINSON KILLED DOZENS OF TRAVELERS

PASSING BY HIS PROPERTY SIMPLY FOR SPORT.

THE MAD MASTER OF EDINBURGH CASTLE, AS HE CAME TO BE KNOWN,

REPORTEDLY EVEN WINED AND DINED SOME OF HIS VICTIMS

BEFORE TAKING THEIR LIVES.

BUT IN THE MOST UNSETTLING VERSIONS OF THE LEGEND,

THE TWISTED KILLER ALSO DRANK THEIR BLOOD.

TO HIDE THE EVIDENCE, HE THEN DISMEMBERED THEIR BODIES

AND DISPOSED OF THE REMAINS.

JUST THINK ABOUT IT FOR A SECOND.

THIS GUY WAS UP HERE, WITH A GUN,

WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO CROSS BY.

YEAH AND, BACK THEN, IT JUST WASN'T THAT POPULATED,

SO IF YOU WENT AHEAD AND FIRED THE GUN,

NO ONE HEARD IT.

BUT ONCE AGAIN, STEFAN AND I STILL DON'T KNOW

HOW MUCH OF THIS STORY IS TRUE,

SO WE HEAD TO THE JAMAICA NATIONAL ARCHIVES

AND MEET WITH HISTORIC RESEARCHER,

DIANNE T. GOLDING FRANKSON.

SO WE KNOW, AS A FACT, THAT, YES,

LEWIS HUTCHINSON DID LIVE IN SAINT ANN.

AS DIANNE EXPLAINS, DURING THE 18th CENTURY,

THOUSANDS OF SCOTSMEN, LIKE HUTCHINSON,

EMIGRATED TO JAMAICA, A BRITISH COLONY AT THE TIME.

WITH ITS BUSTLING PORTS AND BOOMING SUGAR TRADE,

THE EXOTIC, LAWLESS LAND DREW IN MERCHANTS,

ADVENTURERS AND CRIMINALS OF ALL SORTS.

IN FACT, THE ISLAND WAS KNOWN AS THE WILD WEST OF THE CARIBBEAN

AT THE TIME.

THIS CHARACTER OF LEWIS HUTCHINSON,

HE JUST SEEMS SO INCREDIBLY SAVAGE,

IT ALMOST SEEMS UNBELIEVABLE,

SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT

IS HOW MUCH OF IT IS JUST A RUMOR.

ONE OF THE THINGS WITH LEWIS IS THAT, ON THE SURFACE,

LEWIS WOULD HAVE APPEARED AS A NORMAL PERSON.

THIS IS A LIST OF JURORS, AND HIS NAME IS LISTED.

NOW, FOR YOU TO BE APPOINTED A JUROR,

YOU'D HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED A RESPECTABLE PERSON.

BUT, AS TRAVELERS PASSING BY HUTCHINSON'S PROPERTY

CONTINUED TO DISAPPEAR, SUSPICION BEGAN TO MOUNT

AND, EVENTUALLY, THE DEATH OF A YOUNG SOLDIER

WAS TRACED BACK TO THE SCOTSMAN.

HUTCHINSON WAS CONVICTED AND EXECUTED FOR THE MURDER IN 1773,

BUT WERE THERE OTHER VICTIMS?

AND WHEN THEY SEARCHED THE CASTLE, THEY FOUND EVIDENCE

THAT DEFINITELY SUGGESTS THAT HE KILLED OTHER PEOPLE.

WE READ THAT THERE WAS, LIKE, 43 WATCHES

THAT WERE FOUND.

WERE WATCHES A COMMON ITEM BACK THEN?

THE RUMOR IS THAT HE ACTUALLY PREYED ON HIS SLAVES.

IF HE WAS KILLING SLAVES, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE HAD WATCHES.

WOMEN, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE WATCHES, EITHER.

SO HE COULD HAVE KILLED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE?

OH, YEAH.

HE MAY HAVE GONE UP AS FAR AS 200 OR 300.

WE DON'T KNOW.

WELL, I GUESS WHAT'S MOST INTRIGUING TO US IS,

IF HE DID THAT, WHERE ARE ALL THE BONES?

THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT CAME OUT IN THE TRIAL

THAT DEFINITELY SUGGESTS THAT HE THREW THEM

DOWN A SINKHOLE ON THE PROPERTY.

NO ONE WAS ABLE TO GO DOWN INTO THE SINKHOLE

AT THE TIME PERIOD TO INVESTIGATE IT.

APPARENTLY, IT'S VERY DEEP.

STEFAN AND I ARE STARTING TO REALIZE

THAT THE GRISLY RUMORS ABOUT LEWIS HUTCHINSON

MAY ACTUALLY BE TRUE.

WE HAVE HISTORIC PROOF, A LOT OF IT, RIGHT HERE.

YES.

SO WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE VICTIMS' BODIES?

COMING UP...

OH, THAT'S A LONG WAYS DOWN.

...WE HEAD OUT TO FIND

WHERE THE REMAINS WERE SECRETLY STASHED.

LET'S DO THIS.

OH, MY GOD.

THAT IS A PIECE OF BONE RIGHT THERE.

AND LATER, A MYSTERIOUS CAVERN

IN THE CALIFORNIA WOODS...

OH, WOW, THIS KEEPS GOING DOWN.

...THAT IS SAID TO HIDE

A LEGENDARY $2 MILLION TREASURE.

WHAT IS THAT RIGHT THERE?

STEFAN AND I ARE IN NORTHERN JAMAICA,

INVESTIGATING THE CASE OF THE COUNTRY'S FIRST SERIAL KILLER.

THE SUSPECT, A SCOTSMAN NAMED LEWIS HUTCHINSON,

ALSO KNOWN AS THE MAD MASTER OF EDINBURGH CASTLE,

WAS ALLEGEDLY RESPONSIBLE FOR DOZENS OF DEATHS.

THE BIG QUESTION HERE, STEFAN, IS,

IF HE KILLED ALL THOSE PEOPLE,

WHERE ARE THE BODIES? - YEAH.

THE COURT DOCUMENTS SUGGEST

THAT THE VICTIMS' BONES ARE STASHED

IN A GIANT SINKHOLE NEAR HUTCHINSON'S CASTLE,

BUT DOES THIS GRUESOME PIT ACTUALLY EXIST?

IT MAKES SENSE TO ME THAT YOU WOULD HAVE SOMEPLACE

VERY CLOSE TO YOUR HOUSE TO DISPOSE OF THE BODIES.

I MEAN, I DON'T EVEN SEE THE SINKHOLE.

YEAH, I DON'T SEE A SINKHOLE.

SO THAT, IN ITSELF, MEANS THERE'S QUITE AN EFFORT

TO DRAG A BODY THERE, IF HE DID THAT.

ONE THING I NOTICED, RIGHT OFF THE BAT,

IS THIS AREA HERE IS FLAT.

I MEAN, NO WHERE ELSE IS FLAT.

EVERYTHING IS A GIANT SLOPE.

YEAH. IF THERE WAS A MASS GRAVE,

THEY DON'T PUT THEM ON SLOPES.

IT'S ALSO CLOSE TO THE CASTLE.

SO THIS COULD BE A MASS GRAVE CANDIDATE.

OKAY, WELL, IF YOU WANT TO RUN A GPR ON THIS,

I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN FIND.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, AS STEFAN SCANS THE AREA WITH THE GPR,

I'LL TRY TO TRACK DOWN HUTCHINSON'S LEGENDARY HOLE.

AS FAR AS I KNOW, IT ISN'T MARKED ON ANY MAP,

BUT ACCORDING TO THIS LOCAL, THE HOLE IS FARTHER DOWN THE ROAD,

NEAR A CABBAGE FIELD.

GO IN HERE, GO IN THESE TREES.

SO THERE'S A BIG SINKHOLE HERE, LIKE A BIG, BIG HOLE?

YEAH, YOU'LL SEE IT, CABBAGE PLANT NEAR.

FIND THE CABBAGE PLANTS,

HIKE INTO THE BUSH, I GOT IT.

HOPEFULLY, I'M NOW ON THE RIGHT TRACK.

THANK YOU.

AS FOR STEFAN, TURNS OUT HE'S HAVING SOME TROUBLE

GETTING HIS GEAR TO THE SITE.

THE GPR TO THE CASTLE, EVERYONE SAID.

GOD, THIS IS AWFUL.

FIND THE CABBAGE, A BRICK WALL,

HIKE INTO THE BUSH UNTIL I FIND A HOLE.

THIS HILL IS SO STEEP.

OH, THERE'S THE CABBAGE PLANTS.

ROB HAS GOT IT MADE.

HE'S JUST WALKING AROUND.

OH, THIS IS COOL.

A YAM FARM, GRAPEFRUIT.

THIS IS KILLER.

LITERALLY, THERE WAS A KILLER THAT LIVED HERE.

OH, HERE WE GO, OKAY.

OH, YEAH.

THERE IT IS, RIGHT THERE.

OH, WHOA.

I'M GONNA THROW SOMETHING IN, TO SEE IF I CAN HEAR IT GO DOWN.

FIND A ROCK.

IT'S STILL GOING.

OH, THAT'S A LONG WAYS DOWN.

YOU CAN'T HELP BUT STAND ON AN EDGE LIKE THIS,

LOOKING DOWN INTO A HOLE THAT YOU CAN'T SEE THE BOTTOM OF,

WITHOUT GETTING YOUR HEART RACING JUST A LITTLE BIT.

THIS SEEMINGLY BOTTOMLESS PIT IS ODDLY FAR FROM THE CASTLE,

ABOUT A 1/4 MILE AWAY.

STILL, IT WOULD BE THE PERFECT PLACE TO DISPOSE OF ANY REMAINS.

THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THAT ANYBODY IN THE 1700s

WOULD BE ABLE TO GET IN THERE TO FIND A BODY.

THE KEY NOW IS TO USE SOME MODERN GEOPHYSICAL EQUIPMENT

TO SEE IF WE CAN SEE ANY BONES, ANY BODIES,

ANY EVIDENCE OF THESE MASS GRAVES.

WE HAVE THE CHANCE TO CRACK AN ALMOST 250-YEAR-OLD COLD CASE.

BACK AT THE CASTLE, STEFAN HAS RECOVERED FROM HIS UPHILL TREK

AND IS NOW SCANNING THE GROUNDS.

THAT'S WEIRD.

HE'S NOTICING SOME UNUSUAL FEATURES.

I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I FOUND.

IT LOOKS LIKE A WHOLE BUNCH OF SMALL VOIDS.

TO HELP DECIPHER WHAT THESE STRANGE FEATURES MIGHT BE,

STEFAN CREATES A 3-D MAP OF THE AREA HE SCANNED.

IT'S AMAZING THAT I CAN GO AHEAD, COLLECT THIS,

AND WITHIN 20 MINUTES,

SEE EXACTLY WHAT WAS UNDERGROUND.

OKAY, HERE WE GO.

SO THIS IS WEIRD.

JUST TONS OF SMALL, LITTLE VOIDS, JUST LIKE

I THOUGHT I SAW WHILE I WAS COLLECTING, ARE THERE.

I CAN SEE THEM IN FULL 3-D.

MOST OF THESE ARE STACKED 2 TO 3 FEET WITHIN THE SURFACE,

AND LOOK AT THESE.

THEY HAVE THIS LARGE GAP AROUND THEM.

IT'S LIKE THEY'VE BEEN LOOSELY FILLED IN,

SO THE FACT THAT THERE'S THESE LITTLE AIR VOIDS HERE,

THAT'S SUSPICIOUS.

SUPPOSEDLY, LEWIS HUTCHINSON DISMEMBERED HIS VICTIMS.

IF HE WAS JUST THROWING PARTS INTO THIS PIT

AND THEN COVERING IT WITH ROCKS,

THIS IS WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE,

AND OVER TIME, THEY WOULD CREATE THESE LITTLE AIR POCKETS.

WE DEFINITELY NEED TO DIG ON THIS.

THE CURIOUS VOIDS

LIE JUST A FEW FEET BELOW THE SURFACE,

SO IT SEEMS THE BEST WAY TO GET A CLOSER LOOK

IS TO SIMPLY EXCAVATE THE SITE.

I WANT TO GET INTO THIS AIR POCKET.

I WANT TO SEE WHY THIS WAS CREATED.

THERE WE GO. COME ON.

ANOTHER AIR POCKET.

NO BONES YET, THOUGH.

THERE ARE NO VISIBLE REMAINS IN THE POCKETS,

BUT BONES CAN DECOMPOSE AND BREAK DOWN INTO TINY FRAGMENTS,

BARELY DISCERNIBLE TO THE EYE.

SHOVEL THE DIRT INTO THE SIEVE.

IF THEY HAVE BONE FRAGMENTS, I'LL BE ABLE TO FILTER THEM OUT.

THERE'S TONS OF ROCKS.

A SHELL.

FINALLY...

OH, MY GOD.

...STEFAN HITS PAY DIRT.

OH, MY GOD.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT'S FROM,

BUT THAT IS A PIECE OF BONE RIGHT THERE.

WHEN I LATER RETURNED TO THE CASTLE,

STEFAN SHOWS ME HIS INTRIGUING FIND.

LOOK AT THAT.

COULD THIS FRAGMENT BE TRACED BACK

TO ONE OF HUTCHINSON'S ALLEGED VICTIMS?

COULD BE HUMAN.

STILL, THIS DISCOVERY ALONE CAN'T ACCOUNT

FOR THE DOZENS OF PEOPLE

WHO SUPPOSEDLY WENT MISSING AT THIS SITE.

ALTHOUGH THE HOLE I SAW EARLIER

IS LOCATED AT LEAST A 1/4 MILE AWAY,

PERHAPS HUTCHINSON DID USE IT TO HIDE THE OTHER REMAINS.

BUT GETTING DOWN INTO THE DARK ABYSS TO INVESTIGATE

WON'T BE EASY,

SO THE NEXT DAY, WE HOOK UP WITH VETERAN CAVER JAN PAUEL

AND A TEAM OF CLIMBERS.

THIS PARTICULAR SINKHOLE,

IT'S DARK WHEN YOU LOOK DOWN.

YOU WILL NOT SEE THE BOTTOM.

THEY HELP PREPARE ME FOR THE DANGEROUS DESCENT.

THE TOUGHEST PART IS WHEN YOU CLIP INTO THE ROPE AT THE TOP

AND YOU START TO GO OVER BACKWARD.

THIS, AND WE'RE GONNA COME

PUT THE SCREW IN THIS.

WE HAVE OUR ASCENDER ONE, ASCENDER TWO,

FOOT LOOP, CARABINER.

ALL RIGHT. YOU READY?

- ARE YOU READY? - I'M READY.

ALL RIGHT. SAFE TRAVELS.

FIND SOME BONES.

I'LL LOOK FOR IT.

STEFAN AND I ARE TRYING TO CRACK THE CENTURIES-OLD CASE

OF LEWIS HUTCHINSON.

WAS THIS MYSTERIOUS SCOTSMAN JAMAICA'S FIRST SERIAL KILLER?

I'VE JUST DROPPED INTO THE DARK ABYSS

WHERE IT'S SAID HE DISPOSED OF HIS VICTIMS' REMAINS.

HOLY MOLY.

YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING ABOUT 12, 15 MINUTES TO GET DOWN.

IT'S A LONG TIME TO BE ON A ROPE.

SINKHOLES LIKE THIS ARE ONE OF THE MOST BIZARRE

AND, OFTENTIMES, TERRIFYING TYPES OF GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS.

SOME OF THESE NATURAL DEPRESSIONS

ARE FOUND IN THE WATER,

SUCH AS THE DRAGON HOLE IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA,

A LIMESTONE MARVEL THAT IS ALMOST 1,000 FEET DEEP.

ONE OF THE LARGEST SINKHOLES ON LAND

IS EGYPT'S QATTARA DEPRESSION,

A COLOSSAL CHASM THAT STRETCHES OUT

OVER 7,500 SQUARE MILES.

AS FOR THE MOST FRIGHTENING EXAMPLES,

THERE'S THE 330-FOOT VOID IN GUATAMALA THAT, IN 2007,

SUDDENLY OPENED UP, SWALLOWING WHOLE BUILDINGS

AND LEADING TO THREE DEATHS.

OF COURSE, SUCH A DRAMATIC SCENE

DIDN'T UNFOLD AT HUTCHINSON'S HOLE,

BUT WHO KNOWS WHAT DARK SECRETS ARE LURKING IN ITS DEPTHS?

HOLY MOLY.

STEFAN, I MADE IT DOWN.

HOW IS IT DOWN THERE?

IT'S A LONG WAYS DOWN.

IT'S A LOT DEEPER THAN I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE,

AND, UH, IT'S AMAZING.

I FEEL TINY, GAZING UP AT THE COLOSSAL WALLS,

THAT ARE OVER 300 FEET TALL,

AND WHILE THE OPENING TO THE HOLE IS ABOUT 16-FEET WIDE,

DOWN HERE, THE DISTANCE ACROSS IS FIVE TIMES THAT LENGTH.

BUT I CAN ONLY SEE SO MUCH IN THESE DARK CONDITIONS.

SO I BREAK OUT MY HANDHELD LIDAR SCANNER

TO GET A BETTER SENSE OF THE SPACE.

I CAN BOUNCE IT OFF OF THESE ROCK WALLS

AND WE CAN GET A PERFECT MAP OF THIS CAVE.

IT SHOULD HELP US FIGURE OUT WHAT'S DOWN HERE.

FANTASTIC.

OKAY, 10-4, I'M STARTING THE LIDAR, OVER.

WITH THIS LASER-BASED TECHNOLOGY,

WE CAN CREATE THE FIRST-EVER 3-D MAP OF THIS CAVE.

THIS IS A CRAZY TOPOGRAPHY.

IT'S NOT FLAT.

IT'S SLOPING AND IT'S HEADING FARTHER

AND FARTHER DOWN INTO THIS HOLE.

WHAT'S SO FANTASTIC ABOUT THIS LIDAR

IS THE FACT THAT YOU GET RESULTS WITHIN 5 MINUTES.

IT'S LIKE THAT.

NO ONE HAS EVER DONE A FULL 3-D SURVEY DOWN THERE,

LIKE ROB DID WITH THE LIDAR.

THIS IS EXCITING.

THERE WE GO. THERE'S THE DATA, OKAY.

SO BASICALLY, THIS SINKHOLE GOES DOWN,

AND AT THE VERY BOTTOM,

THERE'S A CHAMBER OFF TO THE SIDE,

ABOUT 10 YARDS AWAY FROM THE CENTER DROP.

OH, WOW.

OKAY, LOOK AT THAT.

THERE'S A BONE HERE.

I'M GUESSING THIS IS A FEMUR, MAYBE A TIBIA.

OH, MY GOSH, STEFAN.

THERE ARE A LOT OF BONES.

I FOUND WHAT LOOKS TO BE THE JAW BONE OF A GOAT OR SOMETHING.

SO FAR, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING THAT LOOKS LIKE A HUMAN BONE.

OH, GOSH.

THIS IS HUGE BONE.

LOOK AT THIS HERE.

IT LOOKS LIKE THE KNEE CAP JOINT, RIGHT HERE.

THIS VERY WELL COULD BE HUMAN.

COULD THIS FRAGMENT HAVE COME FROM ONE

OF LEWIS HUTCHINSON'S ALLEGED VICTIMS?

IF, IN FACT, THIS TURNS OUT TO BE A HUMAN BONE,

WE MAY VERY WELL HAVE CRACKED THIS CASE.

ROB, THAT IS HUGE NEWS.

BUT THEN I SOON REALIZED,

EVEN IF ANY OF THOSE REMAINS ARE HUMAN,

HOW OLD COULD THEY REALLY BE,

GIVEN THE TOPOGRAPHY OF THE CAVE?

HEY, STEFAN, I DID WANT TO MAKE ONE OBSERVATION HERE.

SO, WHEN WE FIRST LOOKED AT THIS SINKHOLE,

I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE THESE BONES WOULD BE COVERED UP

AND PRESERVED SOMEHOW, BUT IT IS HARD ROCK.

IT'S BOULDERS OUT HERE.

PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING THAT I WOULD SEE FALLING INTO HERE

WOULD PROBABLY START DECOMPOSING FAIRLY QUICKLY.

YEAH, AND I CAN ALSO IMAGINE...

IT'S RAINING RIGHT NOW...

A TON OF WATER JUST WENT TO THAT SINKHOLE

AND THAT WOULD HELP THE DECOMPOSITION

PROCESS TREMENDOUSLY.

THE PIECES ARE FALLING INTO PLACE.

FROM WHAT STEFAN AND I HAVE SEEN,

THE STORIES ABOUT JAMAICA'S FIRST SERIAL KILLER

SEEM TO BE MORE THAN JUST MYTH,

AND IF HUTCHINSON WANTED TO HIDE HIS VICTIMS' REMAINS,

THIS WOULD CERTAINLY BE THE PERFECT SPOT.

I DOUBT THAT IN THE 1700s,

ANYONE COULD HAVE MADE THE 300-FOOT DESCENT INTO THIS HOLE.

WHAT'S MORE, THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

WOULD EVENTUALLY DISAPPEAR,

SINCE THE BONES THEMSELVES WOULD DECOMPOSE WITHIN A FEW YEARS.

BUT THAT'S NOT THE ONLY PLACE

HE COULD HAVE DISPOSED OF THE REMAINS.

THE STRANGE VOIDS AND THE BONE FRAGMENTS

WE FOUND BY HIS CASTLE

SUGGEST THAT HE MAY HAVE ALSO BURIED THEM CLOSER TO HOME.

FOLLOWING AN HOUR-LONG CLIMB, I FINALLY EMERGE FROM THE CAVERN.

ROB, YOU MADE IT.

THAT WAS A LONG, LONG DESCENT AND ASCENT.

THAT WAS INTENSE.

IF LEWIS HUTCHINSON WAS GUILTY OF THESE CRIMES,

HE CERTAINLY COVERED HIS TRACKS.

IF YOU WERE GOING TO HIDE A BODY,

THAT HOLE IS THE PLACE TO DO IT.

WE MAY NEVER FIND THE SMOKING GUN

THAT CONFIRMS WHETHER HE WAS,

INDEED, JAMAICA'S FIRST SERIAL KILLER,

BUT I SUPPOSE THAT ONLY ADDS TO THE INTRIGUE

OF THIS 250-YEAR-OLD CASE.

NOW, FROM THE DARK CHASMS OF THE TROPICS,

WE'RE SETTING OUT TO FIND A FABLED FORTUNE

IN THE GOLDEN STATE.

DEEP IN THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WOODS

IS A LEGENDARY CAVERN THAT'S AT THE HEART

OF A NEARLY 200-YEAR-OLD MYSTERY

AND A $2 MILLION TREASURE.

ACCORDING TO LOCAL LORE, A PAIR OF NATIVE AMERICAN BANDITS

STOLE 100 POUNDS OF GOLD FROM A MINING CAMP BACK IN THE 1800s.

WITH AUTHORITIES HOT ON THEIR TRAIL,

THE THIEVES HID THEIR LOOT,

HOPING THE LIGHTER LOAD WOULD HELP THEM GET AWAY.

EVENTUALLY THEY WERE CAUGHT AND EXECUTED FOR THEIR CRIME,

BUT, BEFORE THEIR DEATHS,

THEY CONFESSED TO STASHING THE GOLD

SOMEWHERE INSIDE A NEARBY CAVERN, KNOWN AS HALL CITY CAVE.

HOW MUCH OF THIS TALE IS ACTUALLY TRUE?

FOR DECADES, FORTUNE SEEKERS HAVE SEARCHED

FOR THE STASHED PLUNDER,

AND TO THIS DAY, IT STILL HAS NOT BEEN FOUND,

SO STEFAN AND I ARE JOINING IN THE QUEST

TO RECOVER THE LOST TREASURE.

I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE EXCITING, THOUGH.

POTENTIALLY 100 POUNDS OF GOLD NUGGET,

THAT'S, LIKE, NEARLY $2 MILLION.

WITH OUR HIGH-TECH IMAGING TOOLS,

WE CAN EXPLORE THIS CAVE LIKE NEVER BEFORE.

WE HAVE A LOT OF TECH.

WE COULD POTENTIALLY FIND THE TREASURE.

COMING UP, WILL THIS NEARLY 2-CENTURY-OLD MYSTERY...

VERY, VERY CAREFUL.

...FINALLY REVEAL ITSELF TO OUR CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY?

WE'RE DIVING DEEP IN SEARCH OF THE MISSING MILLIONS.

AY-YI-YI, IT'S LIKE A GIANT DROP-OFF, RIGHT THERE.

OKAY, SO HERE'S OUR SECOND LEFT.

NO, THIS IS THE FIRST LEFT.

STEFAN AND I ARE IN RURAL CALIFORNIA,

ON THE HUNT FOR $2 MILLION IN GOLD

THAT'S SAID TO BE HIDDEN DEEP IN A REMOTE CAVE SYSTEM HERE.

CAN YOU FEEL WE'RE GETTING CLOSER?

I DON'T HAVE GOLD FEVER YET,

BUT I'M EXCITED TO FIND THIS CAVE.

I'M PRETTY EXCITED.

I WANT SOME GOLD.

WELL, AS WITH ALL OF THESE RUMORS AND LEGENDS,

I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN PIECING BACK THE HISTORY.

HALL CITY CAVE IS LOCATED IN TRINITY COUNTY,

WHICH HAS A LONG HISTORY OF MINING FOR GOLD.

THE PRECIOUS METAL WAS DISCOVERED HERE IN 1848

AND, SOON AFTER, PROSPECTORS

WHO DREAMED OF STRIKING IT RICH FLOODED THE REGION.

OVER THE NEXT DECADE, THE AREA REMAINED ONE OF THE EPICENTERS

OF THE GOLD RUSH FRENZY AND, TO THIS DAY,

STILL HAS MINERS HAULING DREDGES AND GOLD PANS

TO WORK THEIR CLAIMS.

OF COURSE, WE HAVE TO FIRST LOCATE THIS PLACE.

WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN?

WE'RE GONNA FIND THIS GOLD.

WELL, I JUST WANT TO FIND THE CAVE FIRST.

WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE RIGHT NOW.

WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN SO MANY WRONG TURNS...

BUT DOWN HERE, IT'S SUNDAY GULCH.

...SOME LOCALS HAVE TO POINT OUT THE WAY.

THIS IS WHERE IT GETS TRICKY.

THE FOURTH...

YOU'RE ALREADY RUNNING OUT OF SPACE, TOO.

...THE FOURTH DRAINAGE THAT YOU COME TO...

A RIGHT AFTER THE FOURTH DRAINAGE.

THIS ONE, RIGHT HERE, IS A DRAINAGE.

OKAY, YUP, YUP.

OKAY, SO WE WANT TO TURN RIGHT HERE.

THIS IS THE FOURTH DRAINAGE,

AND IN 50 YARDS, WE'LL SEE A BIG DOUGLAS FIR.

OH, HERE'S THE BIG DOUGLAS FIR.

THAT'S A BIG DOUGLAS FIR. SO RIGHT HERE.

I GUESS WE JUST HIKE UP.

LOOK AT THAT. - WOW.

THAT IS COOL.

THIS COMES OUT OF NOWHERE.

JUST A PERFECTLY DEFINED HOLE.

YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE IT GOES DOWN VERY QUICKLY.

YEAH.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? YOU WANT TO HEAD ON IN?

- LET'S GO. - ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

OH, THIS IS COOL.

BACK IN THE CAVE.

VERY, VERY CAREFUL.

OKAY, GOT IT.

OH, IT GETS DARK REALLY QUICK.

IT IS REALLY DARK.

DO YOU HAVE A HEADLAMP?

YEAH, I DO.

OH, WHOA.

WOW, LET'S KEEP GOING.

WE GOT WEIRD, LIKE, LITTLE POCKETS AND VOIDS.

THIS IS BEAUTIFUL.

YOU CAN SEE THE CAVE FORMATIONS.

THIS IS COOL.

OH, I'LL GRAB THAT LANTERN FROM YOU.

IF THE STOLEN LOOT WAS HIDDEN IN THIS CAVERN,

WE TRY TO IMAGINE WHERE EXACTLY IT WOULD BE.

THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO HIDE GOLD.

I'M SEEING SO MANY LITTLE NOOKS AND CRANNIES

THAT THEY COULD HAVE CRAWLED INTO.

ALL RIGHT. IT'S OPENING UP HERE.

IT'S VERY, VERY WET.

OH.

LOOK AT THAT.

WOW.

OH, BOY, THERE IT IS. - HERE IT IS.

THIS COMES OUT OF NOWHERE.

ACCORDING TO SOME VERSIONS OF THE LEGEND,

THE TREASURE IS BURIED IN A DEEP, WATERY ABYSS.

THOSE RUMORS WE HEARD OF THE HOLE

THAT GOES DOWN, BOTTOMLESS?

THIS HAS TO BE IT, RIGHT HERE.

WOW. ALL RIGHT.

I'M GOING IN, STEFAN.

WHOA, IT'S VERY COLD.

I'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL WHERE I STEP.

I DON'T WANT TO FALL OFF A LEDGE.

THE IDEA SEEMS A BIT DUBIOUS.

WHY WOULD THE THIEVES RISK LOSING THEIR NEWFOUND FORTUNE

IN THIS SEEMINGLY ENDLESS PIT?

AY-YI-YI, IT'S LIKE A GIANT DROP-OFF RIGHT THERE.

- YEAH. - THIS IS INCREDIBLE, STEFAN.

IT'S LIKE A WATERFALL OF SILT GOING OVER THIS EDGE.

THE WHOLE THING IS UNDERWATER, BUT IT...WOW.

WHILE STANDING IN THE SHAFT,

I DO NOTICE SOME FAINT MARKINGS ALONG THE SIDES.

THERE MIGHT BE FLOODING.

SO STEFAN AND I WONDER, JUST HOW HIGH WAS THE WATER

WHEN THE BANDITS STASHED THEIR GOLD?

YOU COULD LOOK AT THE PRECIPITATION ON THE SIDE.

IT LOOKS VERY, VERY, VERY OLD,

THE WATER LINES UP HERE.

IN FACT, WE SAW HOW THE PASSAGEWAY INTO THE CAVE

SLOPED DOWN FROM THE ENTRANCE,

WHICH SUGGESTS THESE CHAMBERS

COULD EASILY BE FLOODED DURING A STORM.

DOES THIS SOMEHOW TIE INTO THE MYSTERY

OF WHERE THAT TREASURE MIGHT BE?

WAS IT HIDDEN IN AN AREA THAT'S NOW SUBMERGED?

OF COURSE, THE WATER COULD HAVE BEEN LOWER IN THE PAST.

OR IS IT STILL SOMEWHERE IN ONE OF THE CAVE'S CORNERS?

I WOULD HIDE IT IN SOME EASIER-TO-ACCESS,

BUT DIFFICULT-TO-FIND LOCATION WITHIN THIS CAVE.

PROBABLY DOWN ONE OF THESE PASSAGEWAYS.

TO HELP IDENTIFY THESE POTENTIAL HIDING SPOTS,

STEFAN PULLS OUT HIS LIDAR SCANNER.

NO ONE HAS DONE A PROPER MAP OF THIS CAVE,

AS FAR AS I KNOW.

IT GENERATES THIS SUPER PRECISE 3-D MODEL.

WHILE MANY TREASURE HUNTERS HAVE ALREADY EXPLORED THIS CAVERN,

THEY MAY HAVE OVERLOOKED SOME CONCEALED CORNERS

THAT OUR DEVICE CAN PICK UP.

THIS IS GOOD.

COMING UP, WILL OUR FIRST-EVER 3-D MAP

FINALLY REVEAL THIS CAVE'S HIDDEN SECRETS?

THAT IS INCREDIBLE, RIGHT THERE.

STEFAN AND I ARE CREATING

OUR FIRST-EVER 3-D MAP OF HALL CITY CAVE,

HOPING TO UNCOVER WHETHER $2 MILLION IN GOLD

COULD HAVE BEEN STASHED HERE OVER A CENTURY AGO.

THIS IS GOOD.

WHEN WE FINISH OUR LIDAR SCAN IN THE CAVE,

STEFAN AND I MEET UP WITH TONY SCARAFIOTTI...

HEY. HOW ARE YOU DOING?

- PLEASED TO MEET YOU, ROB. - THANKS FOR MEETING US HERE.

...A LOCAL TREASURE HUNTER

WHO'S BEEN EXPLORING HALL CITY OVER THE YEARS.

I DO BELIEVE THAT THE GOLD COULD BE OUT THERE SOMEWHERE.

I LOOKED AT OLD REPORTS AND RECORDS,

CORROBORATING WITH THE FACT THAT COINS HAD BEEN STOLEN

FROM THE WORKERS IN THE MINES,

AND I DO BELIEVE THAT IT IS A POSSIBILITY

THAT IT'S IN THAT CAVE.

WE SHOWED TONY OUR 3-D MAP OF THE CAVERN.

SO WE'RE HOPING THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE

TO FIND SOMETHING IN THIS LIDAR DATA

THAT WE DIDN'T SEE OURSELVES.

ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S THE POOL OF WATER, THERE,

AND WHAT'S REALLY FASCINATING IS THIS SECTION HERE.

STEFAN POINTS OUT

WHAT APPEARS TO BE A HIDDEN CHAMBER.

BUT LOOK AT THAT SIDE PASSAGE.

SEE, NOW THAT IS SOMETHING,

THAT IS INCREDIBLE, RIGHT THERE.

LOOK AT THESE LIDAR POINTS.

THEY GO AHEAD AND PIERCE ALL THE WAY THROUGH,

ALMOST TOWARDS THE ENTRANCE AGAIN,

THAT'S, LIKE, AT LEAST 10, 12 FEET.

THAT BIG, EMPTY GAP THERE...

THAT IS CRAZY.

NEVER HAVE I EVEN SEEN A HINT OF THIS.

- YEAH. - I MEAN, THAT'S A HUGE AREA.

THAT'S NOT JUST, LIKE, A LITTLE SPOT

THAT YOU CAN UNCOVER A ROCK AND SEE A SMALL SPACE.

THAT'S A BIG AREA.

IT SEEMS THIS IS ONE CORNER

THAT PAST FORTUNE SEEKERS MAY HAVE MISSED.

SO LOOKING AT THE LIDAR DATA

AND WITH YOUR HISTORICAL EXPERTISE,

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT WE INVESTIGATE THIS ANOMALY MORE?

I WOULD NOT ONLY RECOMMEND IT, I WOULD INSIST ON IT.

LET'S GO FIND SOME GOLD.

- RIGHT ON. - SEE YOU, TONY.

EXCITED TO INVESTIGATE THIS NEWLY DISCOVERED SPACE,

STEFAN AND I RETURN TO THE CAVE.

SO THAT'S THE CREVICE THAT THE LIDAR DETECTED.

OKAY, A TIGHT SQUEEZE, VERY TIGHT.

TO CHECK OUT THE NARROW PASSAGE,

STEFAN PULLS OUT A GoPro THAT'S SPECIALLY SUITED FOR THE TASK.

I RIGGED UP THIS POLE SYSTEM WITH SOME ACTION CAMS,

SO I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE

THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GOING TO SEE INTO THAT.

SO ONE OF US HAS TO CRAWL IN THERE, THOUGH.

THIS IS THE BEST I COULD DO ON SHORT NOTICE.

OKAY, GOOD ENOUGH.

ALL RIGHT.

WHOO, THIS IS A TIGHT SQUEEZE.

YEAH.

OKAY, HERE I GO.

CAN YOU SEE, LIKE, WHERE I'M POINTING?

I'VE GOT A GREAT VIEW HERE.

AS I EXPLORE THE SPACE,

STEFAN MONITORS THE VIDEO FEED AND HELPS GUIDE THE WAY.

YOU'RE DOING GOOD, YOU'RE... OH, I SEE THE OPENING.

GET AS CLOSE TO THAT AS YOU CAN.

OKAY, HERE WE GO.

OH, WOW.

I BET NO ONE HAS SEEN WHAT I'M LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.

IT'S TIGHT IN HERE.

THERE'S A HOLE THERE.

THERE'S LIKE A SHAFT UP TO THE RIGHT.

YEAH, IT'S LIKE A FOOT IN DIAMETER.

TRY TO GET INTO THAT. TRY TO THREAD THAT NEEDLE.

DOES THIS HOLE LEAD INTO A CHAMBER

WHERE TREASURE COULD BE CONCEALED?

OKAY, I'M DEFINITELY SEEING OPEN AREAS BACK THERE.

OH, OH, KEEP GOING, KEEP GOING, KEEP GOING.

YEAH?

I'M TRYING TO GET IT DOWN DEEP IN THERE.

I'M NOT SEEING ANY.

BUT TURNS OUT, THERE'S NOTHING HERE APART

FROM SOME DEBRIS AND ROCKS.

YEAH, THERE'S NOTHING IN THAT DIRECTION.

NOTHING DOWN THERE?

I THINK THAT'S A DEAD END.

I THINK WE'VE THOROUGHLY EXPLORED

THIS SECTION OF THE CAVE.

ALL RIGHT. I'M GETTING OUT OF HERE.

HERE, I'VE JUST GOT TO WIGGLE OUT.

ALL RIGHT?

YEAH, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO HELP ME OUT OF HERE.

HERE, USE MINE, YUP.

GEEZ.

WELL, THAT WAS FUN.

- TIGHT. - TIGHT.

IF THE BANDITS HAD STASHED THE TREASURE IN HALL CITY,

IT WASN'T IN THIS CORNER.

STILL, THERE'S ANOTHER PLACE WE'VE YET TO EXPLORE.

SOME SPECULATE THAT THE GOLD LIES IN THE CAVE'S

SO-CALLED BOTTOMLESS SHAFT.

COMING UP...

GOING IN THE HOLE.

...A WATERY ABYSS...

THERE WE GO.

ALL RIGHT. STRAIGHT DOWN.

...YIELDS NEW CLUES.

HOLD ON, WHAT IS THAT?

LOOKS LIKE IT'S SHINY.

STEFAN AND I ARE EXPLORING HALL CITY CAVE,

WHERE A LEGENDARY STASH OF OVER $2 MILLION IN GOLD

IS SAID TO HAVE GONE MISSING OVER A CENTURY AGO.

WE STAND ABOVE A DEEP SHAFT FILLED WITH ICY-COLD WATER,

WHERE SOME BELIEVE THE TREASURE WAS HIDDEN

BY A PAIR OF NATIVE AMERICAN BANDITS.

DIVING INTO THIS DEEP, DARK ABYSS SEEMS TOO RISKY,

BUT WE CAN CHECK IT OUT USING A CAMERA MOUNTED ON AN R.O.V.

YOU COULD DROP THE R.O.V. IN HERE

AND THEN WE COULD PILOT IT

THROUGH THERE, DROP IT STRAIGHT DOWN.

OUR REMOTELY OPERATED VEHICLE IS TETHERED ONTO A CABLE

THAT WILL ALLOW IT TO REACH A DEPTH OF ALMOST 100 FEET.

AND YOU WILL GET THE VISUAL ON THE LAPTOP,

AND YOU'LL STEER IT FROM THERE...

- YUP. - ...AND I'LL MAN THE CABLE.

THERE WE GO. - ALL RIGHT.

LET'S GET HER IN THE WATER.

YES, THAT'LL LIGHT IT UP.

YEAH.

OKAY, CAN YOU SEE IT?

IT'S A LITTLE SILTY, BUT, YEAH, I CAN SEE.

OH, MY GOODNESS.

LOOK AT THAT.

HERE WE GO, I'M GOING FOR IT.

THERE WE GO.

GOING IN THE HOLE.

PERFECT, PERFECT.

THERE WE GO.

STRAIGHT DOWN.

I'M GOING DOWN, NOTHING IS STOPPING ME, AS OF NOW.

I CAN SEE THE LIGHT DESCENDING INTO DARKNESS.

THAT'S AWESOME.

I'M BUMPING AROUND A LITTLE BIT HERE.

NAVIGATING THE SHAFT'S NARROW, WINDING PATH...

THERE WE GO. THERE WE GO.

THERE WE GO.

OH, YOU HIT IT.

...WE SPOT SEVERAL SMALL LEDGES PROTRUDING OUT FROM THE WALLS.

WELL, I'M ON TOP OF A SHELF RIGHT NOW.

EARLIER, WE SAW HOW THE WATER LEVEL IN THE SHAFT

SEEMS TO RISE DURING A FLOOD.

WAS THE GOLD PLACED ON A RIDGE THAT WAS THEN, LATER, SUBMERGED?

IF THESE NATIVE AMERICANS STASHED THE GOLD IN THE SHAFT,

THEY WOULDN'T GO THAT FAR DOWN,

AND THEY WOULD HAVE PUT IT ON ONE OF THOSE SHELVES.

BUT IF THAT WERE THE CASE,

IT SEEMS WE'D SEE SOME SIGN OF THE TREASURE.

DO YOU SEE ANYTHING THAT LOOKS LIKE GOLD?

NOT YET. LOTS OF SILT.

THEN, AS THE WATER CLEARS...

I'M THROUGH THE SILT.

...STEFAN AND I NOTICE SOMETHING SURPRISING.

A COLLECTION OF RANDOM ITEMS THAT SEEM OUT OF PLACE.

LOOK AT ALL THE STUFF DOWN THERE.

A LITTLE SHELL, HERE'S SOME ROCKS AT THE BOTTOM,

AND AN OLD STICK OR A LOG DOWN THERE.

I DON'T KNOW HOW IT GOT DOWN THERE.

OH, WELL, THAT'S INTERESTING.

IF A LOG IS DOWN THERE,

IT MEANS IT WASHED IN IN A BIG FLOOD.

IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR GOLD, THE GOLD COULD HAVE GOTTEN

WASHED IN DEEPER AND DEEPER.

IN FACT, IT'S ALL STARTING TO MAKE SENSE.

IF THE TREASURE WAS INDEED HIDDEN IN HALL CITY,

WE CAN SEE WHY IT WAS NEVER FOUND.

WHETHER IT WAS STASHED IN SOME CREVICE OR ATOP A LEDGE,

YEARS OF FLOODING COULD HAVE SWEPT

THE GOLD DOWN INTO THE SHAFT,

ESPECIALLY SINCE THE PASSAGES SLOPE DOWNWARD,

TOWARDS THE DEEP-WATER PIT.

AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE BOTTOM

KEEPS GOING AND GOING AND GOING.

THIS IS CLEARLY AN EXTENSIVE CAVE SYSTEM

AND THERE'S NO END IN SIGHT.

AND IF THE BAG WHICH CONTAINED THE GOLD DECOMPOSED OVER TIME,

THE INDIVIDUAL PIECES WOULD HAVE SCATTERED,

MAKING IT EVEN HARDER TO FIND.

170 YEARS OF FLOODING AND SEDIMENTATION

ON TOP OF ANY GOLD WOULD OBSCURE THEM COMPLETELY.

BUT THIS ALSO MEANS THAT FROM WHAT WE'VE SEEN,

THE $2 MILLION HALL CITY TREASURE

COULD VERY WELL BE REAL.

WE MADE SOME HUGE DISCOVERIES.

WE FOUND AREAS I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S EVER SEEN BEFORE,

AND, REALLY, THE GOLD COULD STILL BE DOWN IN THERE.

IT COULD BE.

I GUESS WE MIGHT JUST HAVE TO COME BACK TO THIS CAVE AGAIN.

WE STILL MIGHT FIND SOMETHING.

YEAH, AGREED.