Transcript of Col. Halt’s tape
– continued
HALT: Let’s identify
that as point number one – that stake there. So you
all know where it is if we have to sketch it. You got
that, Sergeant Nevels? OK, closest to the Woodbridge
base...be point one. Let’s go clockwise from there.
VOICE: Point two...
HALT: Point two. So this
tree is between point two and point three.
SECURITY COMMUNICATION: “[indistinct]
and two other personnel requesting arrival [ride ‘em?] on
a jeep at your location”
VOICE: Tell them negative at
this time. We’ll tell them when they can come out
here. We don’t want them out here right now.
HALT: The
sample...you’re going to mark this sample number
one...have them cut it off, and include some of that sap and
all...is between indentation two and three on a pine tree about
five feet away, about three and a half feet off the ground.
VOICE (faint): I’ve got
some more...
HALT: There’s a round abrasion
on the tree about three and a half, four inches in
diameter...it looks like it might be old, but, er...strange,
there’s a crystalline...pine sap that has come out that
fast. See those other trees here that are damaged in a
similar fashion?
VOICES: Yes [indistinct]
toward the centre of the landing site...
HALT: OK, why don’t you
take a picture of that and remember your picture, we
ain’t gonna be writing this down. Oh, it’s
gonna be on the tape.
VOICE: Got a tape measure with
you?
HALT: This is the picture,
your first picture will be at the first tree, the one between
mark two and three. Meantime I’m gonna look at a couple
of these trees over here.
NEVELS: We are getting some...
HALT: You’re getting
readings on the tree you’re taking samples from on the
side facing the suspected landing site.
VOICE: Four clicks max.
HALT: Up to four.
Interesting. That’s right where you’re
taking the sample now. Four? That’s the
strongest point on the tree?
NEVELS: Yessir. If you come to
the back...there’s no clicks whatsoever.
HALT: No clicks at all on the
back – it’s all on the...
NEVELS: ...maybe one or two...
HALT: ...side facing
the...interesting. The indentations look like something
twisted as it sat down on them. Looks like someone took
something and sat it down and twisted it from side to side.
Very strange.
HALT: We’re looking at
the same tree we took the sample off with this – what
d’you call it – Starscope?
VOICE: Uh huh, star...
HALT: Getting a definite heat
reflection off the tree about three to four feet off the
ground?
VOICE: Yes, where the spot
is...
HALT: Same place where the
spot is, we’re getting a heat...
VOICE: ...and a spot on the
tree directly behind us I picked up the same thing, and one off
to your right.
HALT: Three trees in the area,
immediately adjacent to the site, within ten feet of the
suspected landing site, we’re picking up heat reflection
off the trees.
VOICE: [Indistinct]
HALT: What’s that again?
VOICE: Shine the light on it
again, Bob. [Bobby Ball]
HALT: What, are you having
trouble...[INDISTINCT]
VOICE: [indistinct]...right on
the spot, and then when you want...
HALT: OK, turn the light on
[off?]
VOICE: ...you’ll notice
the white....
[A high-pitched electronic whine is audible
on the tape at this point, presumably emitted by the Starscope]
HALT [apparently now using the Starscope
for himself]: Hey! You’re right.
There is a white streak on the tree.
VOICE: Indicates a heat...
HALT: Let me turn around and
look at this tree over here now. Just a second –
watch, ‘cos you’re right in front of the tree.
I can see it. OK, give me a little side lighting so
I can find the tree. OK. Ah...
SECURITY COMMUNICATION: Alpha
Two, security.
HALT: I’ve lost the
tree. OK. Stop, stop. Light off! Hey
this is eerie.
VOICE: Why don’t you do
the pod spots?
HALT: This is strange.
Here, someone wanna look at the spots on the ground?
Whoops, watch you don’t step...you’re walking
all over ‘em.
[Background sound like a car hooter]
HALT: OK, let’s step
back and not walk all over ‘em. Come back here and
somebody put a beam on ‘em. You’re gonna have
to be back ten or fifteen feet. You see it?
VOICE: OK, fine.
HALT: OK, lights off.
[VOICE ON TAPE, OVER-RECORDED: “he
took this long to document...”]
HALT: What d’you think
about the spot? Let’s see(?) the first spot?
OK, that’s what we’d call spot number three.
Let’s go to the back corner and get spot number
one. Spot number one, here’s spot number one right
here. Spot number one, right here. D’you need
some light? There it is, right there. Focused?
VOICE: Focused.
HALT: OK. Looking at
spot number one through the Starlight scope.
VOICE: Picking up a slight
increase in light as I go over it.
HALT: Slight increase in light
at spot number one. Let’s go look at spot number
two. Spot number two’s right over here. Right
here – see it? OK, get focused on it. Tell me
when. OK, lights off, let’s see what we get on it.
VOICE: Slight increase.
HALT: Just a slight increase?
VOICE: Let’s try the
centre.
HALT: The centre spot...well
it really isn’t the centre, it’s slightly off
centre. Right there.
VOICE: Right here.
HALT: We’re gonna get
your reading on it right there.
VOICE: OK.
HALT: Tell me when
you’re ready. OK, lights out. It’s the
centre spot we’re looking at now, or almost the centre.
VOICE: Slight increase.
HALT: Slight increase there?
This is slightly off centre toward the one-two side.
It’s some type of an abrasion or something in the ground
where the pine needles are all pushed back where we get a high
radioactive reading... er, a high reading, about, er...
deflection of, er, two to three, maybe four, depending on the
point of it.
VOICE: Someone wanna check it?
VOICE: Yes.
HALT: You say there is a
positive after-effect?
VOICE: Yes, there is,
definitely.
HALT: That’s on the
centre spot.
VOICE: There is an after-effect.
NEVELS: What does that mean?
VOICE: It means that when the
lights are turned off, once we are focused in and allow time
for the eyes to adjust we are getting an indication of a heat
source coming out of that centre spot, as er, which will show
up on...
HALT: Heat or some form of
energy. It’s hardly heat at this stage of the game.
HALT: Looking directly
overhead one can see an opening in the trees, plus some freshly
broken pine branches on the ground underneath. Looks like
some of ‘em came off about 15 to 20 feet up. Some
small branches about an inch or less in diameter.
HALT: 01.48. We’re
hearing very strange sounds out of the farmer’s barnyard
animals. They’re very, very active, making an awful
lot of noise.
[IAN’S NOTE: The farm next to the
forest is an arable farm, and there were no “barnyard
animals”. The “strange sounds” Halt mentions,
which were also reported by John Burroughs on Night One,
probably came from animals in the forest, most likely the small
type of deer known as muntjac deer.]
VOICE:
[indistinct]...pigmentation.
HALT: You just saw a light?
Where? [garbled] Slow down. Where?
VOICE: Right on this position
here. Straight ahead, in between the trees – there
it is again. Watch – straight ahead, off my
flashlight there, sir. There it is.
[IAN’S NOTE: The UFO at last! The
time interval between “There it is again...there it
is” is 5 seconds, the flash rate of the Orford Ness
lighthouse. For a video clip of the lighthouse flashing at
night as seen from the forest, click here.]