▁with ▁alleg ed ▁mark ings ▁A ▁stone ▁found ▁ 9 0 ▁feet ▁below ▁the ▁surface ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁ins cribed ▁with ▁" m yst er ious ▁mark ings ". ▁It ▁was ▁first ▁reported ▁in ▁a ▁July ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ▁Hal if ax ▁Sun ▁and ▁Ad visor ▁article , ▁which ▁mentioned ▁a ▁June ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ▁letter ▁by ▁J . ▁B . ▁McC ul ly ▁which ▁ret old ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁the ▁stone . ▁Of fer ing ▁a ▁second hand ▁description ▁of ▁its ▁discovery ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 0 0 s ▁exc av ation , ▁McC ul ly ▁wrote : ▁" Some ▁[ layers ] ▁were ▁char co al , ▁some ▁put ty , ▁and ▁one ▁at ▁ 8 0 ▁feet ▁was ▁a ▁stone ▁cut ▁square , ▁two ▁feet ▁long ▁and ▁about ▁a ▁foot ▁thick , ▁with ▁several ▁characters ▁cut ▁on ▁it ." ▁In ▁an ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁newspaper ▁article , ▁the ▁stone ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁built ▁into ▁the ▁" ch im ney ▁of ▁an ▁old ▁house ▁near ▁the ▁pit ". ▁Another ▁article , ▁a ▁year ▁later , ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁stone ▁was ▁held ▁by ▁the ▁Smith ▁family . ▁On ▁January ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁Historical ▁Society ▁of ▁Nova ▁Scot ia ▁secretary ▁John ▁Hunter - D u var ▁contact ed ▁tre asure ▁h unter ▁George ▁Co oke . ▁In ▁a ▁January ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 8 6