The morning call., 1891-07-26
rave been lost at the entrance to Torres

Unless something happens to change my
opinion | shall stick to my belief that he
in our first expedition, for the last time he
was seen was to the south OF Celebes
Island"
"And as there Is no other conclusion pos
slbe for us to reach" remarked the mate,
ut follows that if Captain Allaire entered
straits separating the Sunda Islands"
TT can't be otherwise" replied the cap
tain, land L can't understand how the
Dreadnaught was ever carried toward the
! eastward. Now either he was dismantled
or he was not. Ii he was dismantled he
should have been carried hundreds of miles
to the west of Torres Strait. If he was not,
why should he have returned toward this
strait when Singapore, his port Of destina-
tion, lay in the opposite direction 2"
Il don't know what TO think, answered
the mate. IF the piece OF wreck had been
found in the Indian Ocean it might be ex-
planned by assuming that the clipper Ship
had been wrecked on the Sunda Islands or
on the west coast of Australia"
While the fact is" replied Captain
Willis. THAT the bit of wreck was found as
far up as Melville Island, which would 60
to prove that the Dreadnanght had been
lost in Arafoura Sea, near Torres Strait, or
| in the strait ITSELF"
" 1t may be-" said French. THAT there
are counter currents along the Australian
| coast, which may have carried the piece of
wreck toward the strait In that case the
snip may have gone TO pieces 10 the west
| eTn portion of ArafOura Sea-"
" 1t will come out in good Time" answered
| Captain Willis. Meanwhile let us work
our ship as if the Dreadnaught had gone to
pieces on the reefs of Torres Strait"
And il We work her WE'LL" added Zach.
I'VE shall find Captain John"
| this was the best thing that could be
done. and this was what they did do.
Torres Strait is about thirty miles wide
| and swarns with reefs and iSlets 900 or
| more, and most of them on the level with
| the water. The natives are very skillful in
the management of their light pirogues, and
have no difficulty in crossing from one shore
TO another. Therefore. if Captain John and
| his companions had taken refuge on one of
these lslets 1t would have been easy enough
| Tor them TO reach the Australian coast and
| then make their way to some little settle
ment on the Gulf of Carpentaria or on the
| peninsula of Cape York, whence they would
| have had no great difficulty In reaching home.
| On the other hand, the moment it was as
sumed that Captain John had never en-
| tered Torres Strait, then arose the question
| OF the fragment of wreck and how to ex-
! plain its presence off Melville Island.
Captain Willis ran the Molly's Hope
| boldly into this dangerous passage, keeping
| close to the Australian coast. Upon near
| ing Murray Island the approach of num-
| Der of dugOuts was Sigualed, but the natives
who manned them, as well as those VINO
gathered on the shores as the Molly's Hope
| steamed slowly by, cUntented themselves
! with uttering wild warhoops and brandish
| ing their battle spears.
| For whole month up to June 10th
| Willis and his interchangeable searchers con-
| tinued TO ransack the coast of the islands
| lying between the Gulf OF Carpentaria and
| New Guinea. Not bit or shred of rigging.
| not Il broken spar or piece of woud was
| picked up by Captain Willis to lead him to
think that the Dreadnaught had gone to
After another month spent in coastinp
| along from Arnheim Bay 10 Van Diemens
| Gulf the Molly's Hone. on .Juiv nth
sighted Melville Island. IL was ten miles 10
| the north of This coast that the Fragment Of
| the wrecked Dreadnaupht had been nicte Nd
up. As it had got no farther than this point
| it became necessary to assume that il had
! only been detached from the wreck a short
| time prior to the arrival of the Golden Gate.
! 1t was therefore posslble that thew wera at
| that moment in close proximity tn the SCENE
| of the wreck.
With the coming of Noyember Willis
asked himself whether ha was To considar
that the campaign was at an end at least az
far as the Australian coast and islands off
| it were considered. Should he return home
after he had made search among the Snnda
! Islands living in the southern mart of the
| Tjmor sea? In Main words was no CIV
| scious of having done everything that II 20
possible far man to do9 ''''' ~ " 40
| The bravo sailor heSita.ad n looL rro,
| his task as ended even after be had sno upo
| the Australian coast. Somethiny hannensd
TO rescue him from this state Of indecision
On the morning of Noyember 4th he was
| in conversation with Zach Francb ,vhan tba
| boatswain pninted at some objects aoatine,
| in the yyatar ahont half a T,,iia frnO' ~ .
| steamer Thav yUera paiihar n5anaO ~ -
| frapmants of nIanking nr tpnnts Of If froas
| They were large lunches of grass sort nj
yellowisa rulf weed. torn from the boftom
! ~ tl,a "A oil ~,
"Wen, that's strange" said French.
"Hhng me if the grass isn't coming from the
| west. yes from fine southwest Thern mnst
he current which is carving it toward the
| strait"
THAT'S so" replied CAPTAIN Willis. "and
it must be local current with an pasterly
| course unless il be the effect of the tide /"
Il don't think so, captain" answered
| French, "for | recollect now that early this
| morning | noticed lunches of this grass
drifting in the same direction"
Zach, are you certain of it?"
"As certain as | am that we shall find
Captain John some day."
"Wel" replied Captain Willis. "if such
a current exists it NAV be that that piece of
| the wrecked Dreadnnught came from the
west. following the Australian coast"
'ghat's exactly my opinion. captain
Then there is but one course for ms tn
take. We must continue our search across
| Timor Sea as far as the West Australian
coast"
II was never more convinced Of II can-
tain, since beyond all doubt there is coast
current which rms in the direction Of Mel.
vile Island. BY assuming that Captain
John was lost in western waters. we have
now ali explanation how it was possible
that piece OF his wreck should have been
picked up where it was"
Captain Willis sent for his mate and con-
suited with him AS TO the expedencv of c0n-
tnuing the expedition toward the west
| The mate was IF the opjnjon that II non,
became absolutely necessary to do so. at
least until the s0urce of the cnrrent hoe
been reached.
ITO the westward. tbenv' cried Cantain
Willis. stWe must not 90 hack To San lpisnn
with possibilities but with certainties-t6e
certainty that if the Dreadnarpht went tO
pieces on the Australian coast there il not n
spar of her left in existence"
In consequence of this. under the eirrum-
stances, very Unsuitable determination the