The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-08-02

sides OF the main ledge, they reached q level
spot from which the rocky headiand jutted
boldly out to the northward. At this point
they came upon narrow cleft in the rock
through which they were enabled, without
any fficulty, TO reach stretch of sandy
beach below them. 1t was shut in by rocks,
over whose reddish surface the breakers
swept necessarily.
Scattered over this stretch of sand there
were many objects going to prove that bu-
man beings had made prolonged stay in
this part of the iSland-bits of glass and
CHINA, fragments of earthern ware, scraps of
iron. pTovisIon-eans Of undOubtsd American
origin; and in addition TO these were noted
utensils common to shipboard. pieces of
chain, broken rings, parts of rigging in gal
YanlZed IRON, grappling-iron, hosting
tackle. pump handle, fragments of sparS
and floats, aud pieces of sheet-iron torn off a
water-eask, as to the origin of which no CAL
lfnrnan sailor could possibly go astray.
SIT was no English ship that ran on this
island" said Captain Willis; ''it was an
American vessel"
Yes" cried out Zach French, land take
my word for it, she was built in one of the
by the other seamen.
But still! as yet there was nothing to show
that this ship had been the Inflated Dread
naught. AT all events the question was:
DID not this vessel, from whatever port
she hailed-go down in the open sea. since
there were no signs of any part of her hull9
Had not her crew taken refuge on
this island by means of the ships
boats? No! for CAPTAIN Willis soon
came upon proof that this vessel
had been wrecked upon these reefs. At
about cables length, wedged in among
the rocks and reefs. lay the miserable rem
nant OF ship which had been driven ashore
by the fury of the gale and upon which the
waves had beaten with tempestuous violence
until oak and iron had parted and every
thing had been wrencbed asunder, pounded
into fragments, scattered and strewn and
tossed up over the reefs by the mighty rush
of the sea. Sadly and silently Willis and
his men stood gazing upon the prey to which
these rocks still chung so tenaciously. Of
this ships hull there was nothing remain
ing, nothing of the upper works, no trace OF
the masting, either from having been cut
away at sea or from having been put to
some use on shore after the laundering of
the vessel.
Let US set to work." cried Willis, land
| perhaps we may find some name, some let
ter, some mark which will fix the nation
ality of this craft"
YES" replied Zach French, "and may
heaven grant that 1t Will not turn ont to be
Captain Johns ship that was reduced to
this awful plight"
The examination prnduced no definita re-
suit. While 1t was true that articles picked
up on the beach were undoubtedly Of
American manufacture, yet was there no
ground to affirm that they had once be-
| lOnged to the Inflated Dreadnaught.
one o1Ethe seamen soon came upon the
| cave which had been utilized by the cast
| Always. II penetrated into an enormous
mass OF granite at the angle formed by the
| plateau and the beach. Captain Willis and
| Zach made haste to join the man, who was
halloing TO them. 1t might be that within
| this cave would be solved the secret of the
wreck = that in this dark chamber would be
| revealed the name OF the wreck. The only
entrance to the cave was through mario W
| arched passageway. near which opening
| lay the ashes of an exterior fire.
| place. the smoke OF which had blackened
| the walls. The cave proved to be about
| foot ceiling-quite large enough TO accom-
| modate q dozen people. The place was
| quite bare, excepting the presence of rude
| bed OF dried grass covered with bits and
shreds Of an old sail, bench made of pieces
| OF plank, two stools fashioned in the same
| style, riekety table from the wreck, posi-
| bly, from the ships cabin. In the way of
utensils there were few plates, few iron
| dishes, three forks. two spoons. knife and
three metal drinking cups all eaten by rust.
Poor wretches," murmured Zach French,
| what restitution they must have suffered
| during their Stay on this island
| Ihey don't seem 10 have saved scarcely
ANYTHING OF the ships MATERIAL" replied
Captain WINS, ana that proves the yio-
lence with which she must have run on
these rocks and reefs As everything went
| to pieces how were these unfortunate beings
| able to procure food? No doubt they had a
| little grain, which they sowed, some salt
| meat, some canned provisions, which they
| gradually exhausted. But what an exist
enee, and how they must have suffered
es, with this slender store eked out with
such fish as they might be able to catch, such
| were the only means they had to keep body
| and soul together. There no longer seemed
to be any possibility that they could still be
| upon the Island. And yet If they had been
forced to lay their bones here it was very
| probable that the remains of the one who
| had died last would be found somewhere
| But in spite OF all the patient searching done
| inside and out of this cave no trace of their
bodies could be found.
This leads me TO think" observed Zach
French, that these castaways were taken
! off the island"
But how?" asked Captain Willis. could
| they have possibly, with the debris of the
wreck, built raft large enough 10 put to
sea?"
No, captain, they didn't have enough to
build canoe with. / incline to the opinion
| that their signal must have been seen by a
| passing vessel
- But, Zach, can't bring myself to think
Why not captain?"
Because If passing ship had seen them
| and taken them of, the whole world would
have heard OF it. unless that ship itself had
| gone down with every soul on board, which
| cept tile theory that the caStawayS of
Browse Island were rescued in any such
| way"
You may be right captain" said Zach
sadly; but if ii was impossible for them to