Right no more Mr. Nice Guy
From the family archives of sherlockx

The log of Uriah the Unrepentant 1541
Location The Lassen Park region of Northern California (As it is now known)

Having been swept overboard from my ship during the worst storm I have ever encountered ( and that includes rounding
Cape Horn) I have made my way inland to a volcanic region.I have been made welcome by a people who call themselves
Maidu and these in particular are a spiritual group who are the source of shaman for the entire region (the Kuksu)
The chief's daughter Yototowi (an exceptional beauty)is very very friendly and I am having a very very very good
time.
Trouble: I have offended their customs by my "friendship" with Yototowi.
The Ordeal: I was led up a volcanic peak, halfway up and shivering from the gale force wind and driving snow we
stopped and my " honour guard" of 20 men struggled to slide up in cut grooves a massive stone slab using stout poles
as levers.Once up it revealed the entrance to a cave or tunnelwhich we then entered.
The shaman told me this was the cave of the elements. We had walked in some 20 paces when we encountered an area of
roaring cold wind.Hurrying past it to where we could talk the shaman explained that was the first of the elements ,
the 4 holes the size of your skull 4 on each side of the passage at knee height lead a great distance up the side of
the volcano to conical depressions around the volcano so that no matter which way the wind blows the air will always
blow through.
walking another 20 paces or so we came across a pool of clear water apparently spring fed and lapping over the edge
to drain down another small hole. This was obviously the second element. Some ten paces further and the floor was
covered by soil in which mushrooms were growing. The temperature here was quite mild. This is the fourth element,
earth, do not attempt to eat the mushrooms as they are very poisonous unless cooked with a special lichen which does
not grow in this cave the shaman explained.
Some 30 paces further and the temperature became unbearably hot due to a large well like hole at the bottom of which
was bubbling magma. Fire the fourth element the shaman mentioned.
Another 20 paces and we reached the end of the cave it was very warm but not unbearable. Four large drums stood by
the end wall 2 either side of a large gold plate set in the wall. This is the door out, legend says, it is a large
block of solid gold, you will see that the gap between the rock wall and the gold slab is less than the thickness of
a hair from your head. the secret of opening that door has been lost for many many generations but it is said that
the wealth of our ancestors lies behind it and a way out. If you can open it carry one of the four drums of the
elements to the chamber of wind and beat on it 100 times. A great feast will then await your return.
they then stripped me of all my clothes and belongings and the last I heard was the great stone slab being lowered to
seal the entrance.Rapping the "door" with my knuckes I ascertained it was indeed a very thick slab of solid gold.
Three days later I entered the village carrying a token from the ancestor's treasure.I told them I was the Fifth Element( wonder if that will go down in history)
Some months later I travelled down a river to the sea with my beautiful wife and a spare canoe packed with tourmalines and blue stones like a diamond or sapphire (Benitoite).
A little while later we hailed a ship and negotiated passage with its master João Rodrigues Cabrilho.
I escaped from the Cave of the elements by............

The usual rules apply: you may ask questions which may be answered with a yes or no but I reserve the right to make other comments

 

Did Uriah upset the elements? (Such as filling up one of the drums with water and pour it into the well of lava?) No that would just have made the story even steamier
Does the mushrooms play a part in his way out?No, they were not magic mushrooms

do the drums have any markings on them? No but keep banging on with the questions
does the door have any markings on it? No

Does the amount of paces have anything to do with the answer? No Uriah's nickname used to be Strider but he got out of the hobbit of using it
Does this riddle somewhere involve combining the four elements (wind, water, fire/magma, earth)? No
Does it matter which drum is used? No
Are all the elements considered equal? yes apart from the fith
Do the mushrooms play any role in solving this riddle? No

Did Uriah take a drum to the chamber of wind & beat the drum 100 times? Yes
did that action open the door? No

You said he came out 3 days later, did he eat during that time? No
Did he use the drums in any other way? (Besides beating them 100 times?) Yes, the family archives shew he was quite a headbanger

could the way Uriah got out happen in the real world? Yes, it is quite common knowledge

did Uriah use the drum as a flotation device after he plugged the small hole the water drained & wait for the cave to flood opening the door by water pressure? No

Going offline for a while to watch an old film called"The Sting"

Was there anything else in the cave not mentioned that he used? No
Did Uriah use one of the elements? Yes
Multiple elements? Yes

Did Uriah use all four drums? Yes
Did Uriah beat a drum in a place other than the chamber of wind? No
Is the only thing Uriah used the drums? No
Was there another object in the volcano? No

Is the "Fifth" element crucial to the solution? Yes

here's what I would of done if I was Uriah...
get a drum fill it with water, get another fill it with dirt, make a thick mud & used a drum as a form to make a bowl from the mud, let it harden even fire it so it has strength. Scoop some lava & pour it on the gold door until I melted a hole to get through it.

No, wow Nordsy what a brilliant idea........... for any asbestos based lifeform from the inner planets of the blue supergiant star Alnitak Aa. Lava is molten at between 700 to 1300 degress c. Gold melts at 1000c. Trust me you do not want to get your bare skin near temperatures a quarter of that. A wood fire will burn at around 230 to 250c . Poor Uriah failed the fire walking classes

Do any of the elements come in contact with the drums? Yes
Will the drums burn if touched by magma? Yes
In this riddle, are the drums only used for playing music or making a rhythm? No, Uriah found them quite comfortable to sit on amongst other things

I am currently listening to The Count of Monte Cristo-- quite inspirational but it probably won't help you

Is magma used in this riddle? No
Does wind touch a drum (stupid question, following a pattern)? yes, and just where was he to beat the drum 100 times?
Does water touch a drum? yes
Does magma touch a drum? No
Does earth touch a drum (another stupid question, probably it was touching it before Uriah touched the drums)? yes , did you imagine they were hovering in mid air
Are any of the elements dropped in the magma? No
Does the volcano erupt? No

Is water used in this riddle? yes
Is wind used in this riddle? yes
Is earth used in this riddle? yes
Does water come in contact with wind? yes
Does water come in contact with earth? yes
Does wind come in contact with earth? yes
Are the holes important in this riddle? yes

There I bet that has helped you lots & lots