The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-02-15
COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY

less. Either some one among them is by
some means playing on the supeTstitiouS
fears of the rest, by some trick, or else
there must be ship near U.s.
But the bell sounded from the quarter
deck like ours, said the second lieutenant.
Sound is often decritful, especially at
night replied the captain. 'At all events
we can discover nothing till daylight
Keep good look out, Mr. Allen
Thus speaking, he and the second lieu
tenant went below.
-Four bells, six. and eight were struck
in turn, but without repetition, giving rise
in the minds Of the officers to belief that
one Of the men had been playing tricks,
and had been afraid to continue them, for
had the sound come from ship, it would
have been repeated through the night
At four o'clock the ship was got under
weigh, and soon afterwards it was broad
daylight. No ship was in sight, though
the horizon could be swept in circle in.
clo>iog a,any miles.
i,u, an rnuravors to find out who had
been Elaying the trick with the bell were
in vain, and the mems grog was stopped
according to the captains order.
Three days after the Coquette reached
the termination Of the strait Here, sit
mated far oDo,t from anv Of the other
islands is lone low sandbank rising to
a hummock in its center, and here has
long been established what is known to
the havfgat0rS or tHnSe seas as '1he fost-
r ~. '
once OF the Torres Strait.
1t consists ct seamans large chest,
covered WIN tarpauhn, ana protected hy
shed oi boards from the weather, and
here' Tor many years past, 1t has been the
Pfarucr OF masters "i >h'Ps, IN" have got
safely thr"nsh the Strait to deposit let
ter when Is read by the new CONFER, "=ho
deposits one ~ h'S tnrn' and fepnrtS on
"iS a"tt&' &e'('''s <''~at'<sed E''f', t''&t @a
Sn'h dav >nch vts>cl, or vessels, pass
{" r"Sto'ilc" Island IN safety. having sue
cerded IN escaping all the peIl's attending
the navigation "t the Strait
VI course tins out OF the way postothce
letters wera fund written hv masters of
shi,s vino "a darn.;tod ,h.u, ,.i,h;n =
G.w w.,kS or mnu,hs and IN. ranor,s
thev undn werc cnnisd to no sct down in
,l,1 C1a,,,.,.' 49,. ho,. J,.. ,t
nf;cor. yr.r, oho5. - Ionvo th. sn,,, omo
oC thn,n norc.;yaI ,vb,, ann.orad ., La =
lnof torn frnm noc!,nt hnnL; or wlich
,,.. .,,,,,l.1 IL .tonc;I.
a
SUNDAY, May Z, 1912.
Lett here a boats crew, escaped from
the natives OF one OF the islands in the
middle OF the strait. We have compass,
ana lew yamS, and little water on
board, and shall shape our course to IL
NOR. Lett on the island, in the power
and one woman and child. Three others
are with US.
To the commander OF ship -ot-war of
any nation.
Masters of merchantmen will please
report to man-"t.war at the earliest OPP
portunity, for Gods and PHYS sake.
y. +. llCTcHINS, Chief Mate.
Ship Bertha, Bristol
The officer handed the scran of INNER
TO the captain. neter reading il
MAY the 7th' said the cantoin This
is hut the 2d of June. this must he seem
to-
As soon as the officers returned on
board conncil was held. and it wns de.
termined tu keen the slooD oC.war lvinr
off and ON near the termination Of tb,,
Strait. while the boats and the men that
could be spared were drspatcbed forth
with well armed and provided with water
and provisions. TO search the islands thor.
ouphly. in homes of discovering the nm.
bappv captiyes
Several days were spent without anv
discovery having bpen made and tha
boats had met off the island where the
mysterions sound of the hell had been
heard. On landing it was evident enough
that, though now uninhubited, as on the
former occasion. it had been visited bv
the natives since the sloop.of.war had
quilted it. At length. n party of sramcn
stumbled over A hean of ashes still warm
The officers were satisfied that the natives
must be close at hand. and that on this
occasion, as on the former, they had vaca.
ted the island on the approach of the
white men. This was unusual with them,
as they were generally eager for presents
when they could not plundcr. 1t was
reasonable. therefore. to SUPPOSE they had
some succial motive for di>appearing.
While the party Of officers in command
of the expedition were still deliberating
" hat to do, they we're startled by the
sound Of the mysterious bell, now rung
rapidly. Presently it ceased, then one
or two strokes were heard. then one f2l
ble one, and all was still.
That bell was sounded by the captives
We are in search of, III wager NV com.
mission, said one Of the officers.
The sound seemed to come from be.
yond the WOOD said another.
The whole party proceeded in the di.
recton suggested. Nothing was heard OF
seen, and they passed out Of the wood 1,
the opposite shore. About two hundred
wards distant as c,sa,5, Sycsely wooded
iSlet, not more than half an acre in ex
tent completely hidden from the strait by