Have you ever stood on the shoreline of the mainland here and looked across to a small island several hundred metres off shore? And while looking, wondered how many people, if any, had ever walked on it, or, who knows, pondered what it would be like to walk on it yourself?I have, and do - mainly because I like to take long ocean swims.Anyway, last Sunday because the weather was perfect and the seas were calm, I decided to swim to one of those types of islands - this one situated in the middle of the Dundonald Channel. It's about 130 metres long by about 40 metres wide and if you stand on the shore at Spanish Point either at the Boat Club or the park, peer out to sea at Dockyard, you will see it. Not a terribly high land mass, but green on top and accessible to anyone who can swim.So I did.What I didn't count on at first was the amount of marine traffic that flies through the Dundonald Channel on a sunny Sunday afternoon. I nearly got chopped up several times. "What the .....do I look like a Portuguese Man o'war to you?" I yelled from the water at one bloke steering a white yacht. He had several women with him, so part of me forgave him.I swam on, and when I got to the island, well, it was then that life became interesting. I climbed on and over the sharp volcanic rocks, looked around, walked the island from its farthest most eastern point right to its western point, then stood there marveling at the two huge cruise ships in port at Dockyard. Moments later, I saw something.Nestled in the undergrowth, perfectly preserved, standing as tall and erect as the day it was made, was a headstone, complete with an arched top and about 8 inches thick. My immediate thought was, oddly, "I wonder who and when was the last person to ever see this thing?" So I bent down, brushed the weeds and undergrowth away to see who was buried there. I had heard that some of these little islands off the coast of Bda's mainland, were used hundreds of years ago, as venues to execute criminals by hanging them. To me, this headstone suggested that this was one of them.The inscription on the tombstone was a simple capital A underneath an arrowhead. Nothing more. The grave of an unknown bad guy..or soldier, or fisherman, or some slave perhaps...who knows? But it made me want to dive back into the ocean, swim across the waters to the mainland, dash home and do research.After exploring more of the island for another 30mins, that's what I did. When I reached Spanish Point, wet and flushed with adrenaline, I climbed out of the ocean onto land and saw some people picnicking in the park. "Excuse me, mate," I interrupted this guy who looked about 40, "do you know what that island out there is called?" I asked. "No, bie..what's up?" he said. "I lived here all my life and never ever been to it or even wondered what it called, mon. Maybe it don't even have a name."Wow, what a thought. Maybe it didn't.Which in and of itself excited me more because I had immediate visions of naming it Ric's Rock....but thought a better title would be Songopoly Sound!When I did get home....I found zero. Wikipedia lists all the names of the islands in Bda - all 181 of them - then made a foot note that some may be on the list twice but under different names.This one of mine, however, is clearly named. On an extended, comprehensive map of Bda, which I found online, I pinpointed the area and it's called Cobbler's Island.I immediately emailed Charles Gosling. I thought, fine upstanding learned man, from a long line of Bda dwellers, he'll know. "If this was April I'd think you were pulling one on me...or better still, I'd have a field day with you. But sorry, it's not my area of expertise. Andrew Bermingham at the Bermuda Historical Society may be able to help. The headstone could be a Boer Headstone but that is base supposition on my part." Base or Boer or not....it was a start. So I phoned Andy...he did not pick up.So, undaunted, I then contacted Sen. Michael Dunkley and asked him what he knew of Cobbler's Island and my mystery tombstone. "Ric," he said, "you've stumped me on this one...Ed Harris would be a good guy to check with."So I did that too.And Dr Ed (of the National Museum) was happy that I did."Firstly, I know hangings have taken place on some of these remote islands, and Cobbler's may be one of them, but I doubt this headstone sits on top of a grave," he began. "But, it is a very significant find and I will be going to look it over myself this week. I knew these rare monuments existed, but was not sure where. And I am certain of their origin, which is what makes them important. The Dockyard hard limestone was used to make them and they relate to the properties owned by the Admiralty of the day. The Admiral had them made to indicate which was his land surrounding Admiralty House. They are different from the traditional limestone markers and monuments that were commissioned by the war office at that time, as all of those are flat topped. You rarely see one like this one on Cobbler's that has artistic markings such as the arch shape head of the marker. The give away for me is the King's Broad arrow marking over the A. That tells me this is a boundary marker that was installed on the lands owned by the Admiralty at the time. Those lands were sold to the Bda government in 1951 but these monuments were made in the 1840s. These rare marker stones are significant and now that we know exactly where it is, I am going to approach the government to seek permission to personally go to the island to highlight the A and the arrowhead in black paint, then establish some sort of historical monument for it. Tourists and Bermudians need to know about these markers, which are on various points of the island, as they were forged on all the Military properties," stated Dr Harris. "And that's a major and important part of our history."Also found on my island paradise, were three very old, but very well carved out bathing tanks, which can be found on the Warwick side of the Cobber's Island. They are three feet wide by three feet long and about two feet deep. They have been carved into the side of the island just above sea level. I thought of Stonehenge when I saw them....you know extra-terrestrials making things on earth etc for their Mother Ship. Because these pools aren't natural. Something or so someone has made them and they are perfectly proportioned."My guess is they are fish tanks, or fish holding ponds," surmised Dr Harris. "I believe the British military would have made them. Remember there was no refrigeration back in those days so when the bigger fish were caught, they were placed into these tanks and kept alive until it was time to eat them."I knew that!But what continues to puzzle me is who ate them? The island is not habitable and there are no buildings or remnants of buildings on the place. There is, however, evidence that people have been there this century, as I found four old 90mins TDK cassette tapes, the likes of which I used 35 years ago to record music from radio and friend's vinyl albums. They had been there for years, and were deteriorated beyond reproach. But they were there.Anyway, for a short time my Sunday afternoon swim appeared to be my crowning achievement in Bda. I thought this is my legacy...Songopoly Sound, home of the unknown fisherman.Then I had to go and contact Dr Harris. Arghhh, looks like my TV and radio shows will be all I have to show of my time in Bda now.And this story, which, as my kids get older will be expanded to be: I swam five miles off shore, encountered, but evaded, several sharks along the way, and found the grave site of a 400 years old man! It may well have been Sir George Somers himself, kids!