A discovery of "ancient beeswax" found on the Oregonian coast at Nehalem was reported in the newspapers throughout the years. It was assumed it came from a wrecked vessel, that foundered on its way to a Catholic monastery in California. The wax was etched with Latin words.
During the 1800s, there were different theories where chunks of beeswax washing onshore were coming from. First it was assumed it might have come from the ship Peacock wrecked on the Nehalem Bay sandpit. It carried beeswax among its cargo, which was strewn along the beach. However William Savage a pioneer in the area during the 1840s, said the brig-of-war Peacock was wrecked at the mouth of Columbia River in 1842.
