Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-19
CHAPTER XI.

CHAPTER XL.
FIRST ATTEMPT TO FIND CAPTAIN JOHN.
After run of 2,2OO miles the Molly s
Hope came in sight of Mount Kes tower
inc /. 500 feet above the island of Hawaii,
which is the most southerly of the Sand
wich Islands In addition to five large
islands in three small ones, this group con-
rains number of islets upon which there
vas no need OF searching for traces of the
Qreadnaught 1t is quite evident that this
snipwrecb would have been known long ago
II il had taken place on any one of the nu-
a.erous reefs of this archipelago, not even
excepting those of Medo-M -Manon which are
only inhabited by countless numbers of sea
fowls. The Sandwich Islands are in reality
quite densely populated, Hawaii alone hav-
sag 1o0,O 600 Inhabitants, and had the Dread
Taught been wrecked on these coasts the
news Of the disaster would most surely
Rave been sent to Washington by the Amer
!eau commercial agents resident on the
Islands
Anyway, four years before this, when
Captain Willis spoke the Dreadnaught the
g-0 ships met TO the westward of the Sand
ssila group. N1olly's Hope now continued
O. her course to the southwest across this
wonderful ocean which well merits its
rsme during the several months of the
warm season.
SIX days later the fast steamer had crossed
shat imaginary line running north ard
south by which geographers separate Poly
nesia from Micronesia. Captain Willis had
10 reason TO search this western portion of
the FolvnesIan waters. but beyond them the
Micronesian seas swarned with islands.
irlrts and reefs which it now became the
perilous duty of the Molly's Hope to search
Eor traces OF q wreck.
On August % they touched at Odia the
largest OF the Marshall group, visited by
botzebue and the Russians in 1917. This
group is spread out over space of 80 miles
east and west by Is miles north and south,
and doesn't contain fewer than 60 islets or
attolcns. Although the Molly's Hope
might have taken on q supply of fresh
wafer il a few hours from this island, yet
abe prolonged her stay for five days.
Lowering his steam launch Captain Willis
was able TO convince himself that no ship
had been lost on these reefs during the four
years just past They noticed some drift
wood along the shore of the Mulgraye
islands, but it was only the trunks of fir
trees palms and bamboos used by the natives
Ia building their piregues, and had no doubt
been caught in the ocean currents. Willis
learned from the chief of Odis island that
since 1872 there had only been a report of
one wreck on the eastern attolons and that
was an English brig, the crew of which had
later been taken off
Once outside of the Marshall arch
ipelago, the Molly's hope turned
her head toward the Caroline Islands. On
his way, BY means of his steam launch,
Willis made the circuit of Ualan Island but
without any results. On September 8 he
entered that vast archipelago known as the
Caroline Islands, taking for the headquart-
ars OF his operations island of zap, which is
one Of the 500 islands making up the Caro-
line group. From this point the captain
pushed his Investigations in all directions.
The devotion of his men was beyond
praise. Not q murmur was heard on ac-
count Of the dangers and fatigues connected
with the task of exploring these countless
reefs and passing through these narrow
channels, the bottoms of which bristled
with corallaceous growths. Besides, the
pleasant season was now over, and
There were already reminders of those
terrible gales which send so many
ships to the bottom. Every day the ships
bouts searched for creeks and coves into
which the currents might have cast some bit
Of the wreck. In all these excursions the
men were well armed, for 1t was far differ
ent work from the search for Sir John
Franklin, which took place on the uninhab-
tied shores of the Arctic regions. Most of
these islands were inhabited, and Captain
Willis invariably made strenuous efforts to
establish friendly relations with the natives
lUt, in spite Of his overtures, he often met
With hostile demonstrations, in which sew
eral OF his men were wounded.
1t was from this point that Captain Willis
made his first report to Mrs Allaire, but as
all his labors had produced no results, it
was resolved to continue the search further
west.
On the second day of December the
Molly's Hope reached the Philippines 700
miles to the westward OF the Caroline group
These islands were discovered by Magellan
il 1921, AID are the most important of the
Malavsian Archipelago. Captain Willis did
noi touch at any point on the coast of fLuzon
Island. How could it be possible that the
Dreadnaught ever got SO far North in the
China Sea when she was sailing for Singa-
pore? For this reason Willis preferred to
make the island Of Mindanao the center of
his operations, which island, lying in the
Southern part of the archipelago, must
necessarily have been passed by Captain
John in order to reach the Java Sea-
Molly's steamer was Eow anchored in the
port of Zamboanga, the residence of the
Governor, 10 whom and to whose subordi-
mates Captain Willis first applied for in
formation OF any vessel wrecked on the
coast OF Mlndanao, but so Tar as the Span
ish authorities were concerned they re-
ported that no such disaster had taken
place within five years.
But these reports did not cover the inde-
pendent portions of-the island inhabited by
Iavages against whom the charge of canni-
balism had been substantiated, and who
would naturally make every effort to con-
ceal the facts of any such disaster on their
coast. Many of these Malays follow the
Rvocation of corsairs and are ready to pur-
sue any luczless merchantmen driven into
their waters to escape the gales. Whom
they capture they destroy, and whether such
had been the terrible fate of Captain John
enc his companions was something which