Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-26
CHAPTER XIII.


THE MOLLY'S HOPE IN THE TIMoR SEA
Captain Willis sailed from San Diego al
10 o'clock on the morning of April 8, 1882,
following q southwesterly course, with the
intention of proceeding by as direct route
as possible to the Torres Strait and so into
Arafoura Sea The Molly's Hope not nav
ing any reason for touching at the Gilbert
or Salmon Islands, after an uneyentful
voyage of three weeks, sighted first the
high land of the New Guinea coast and
then the most northerly point of Australia
known as Cape York. Torres Strait. lying
between this point and the New Guinea
coast, enjoys the repute of bel ng an ex-
tremely dangerous passage, partly due to
the violent currents which set in from east
to west and partly to the shoal water. Only
for certain part of the day, while the sun
is in such position as to make the breakers
plainly visible, is it at all safe to venture
into this narrow water lane.
"Was it quite as far up as Melville Island
that the Golden Gate picked up the frag-
ment of the wreck?" asked Captain Willis
of Boatswain French.
'Quite," replied Zach.
sit must be five hundred miles beyond
the Strait"
"At least, Captain" replied Zach, "and
can understand your surprise. For know
ing as we do the existence of these strong
westerly currents, it would seem from hav-
ing found the piece of wreck off Melville
Island that the Dreadnaught must have
been lost at the entrance to Torres Strait. -
Precisely, Zach, and we would be forced
to conclude that Captain John had made
choice of this dangerous passage to. reach
Singapore. Now, that l never can admit
UnlesG something happens to change my
m nj Inr I hol flnl- IN halT af .ho+ L
crossed the Eastern Archipelago as we did
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
sible for us to reach" remarked the mate,
lit follows that if Captain Allaire entered
Timor Sea he did so through one of the
straits separating the Sunda Islands,
1T can't be otherwise, replied the cap
tain, ''and L can't understand how the
Dreadnaught was ever carried toward the
eastward. Now, either he was dismantled
or he was not If 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"
81 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 go
to prove that the Dreadnaught had been
lost In Aratoura Sea, near Torres Strait, or
in the strait itself -
'It may be-" said French, "that there
are counter currents along the Australian
coast, which may have carried the piece of
wreck along the strait In that case the
ship may have gone to pieces in the western
portion Of Aratoura 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.
'tAnd if we work it well, " added Zach,
I'VE shall find Captain John"
This was the best thing that could be
done .end this was what they did do
Torres Strait is about 80 miles wide and
swarms with reefs and islets, 800 or more,
and most of them on the level with the
water. The natives are very skillful in the
management of their light piragues, 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 islets it would have been easy
enough for them to reach the Australian
coast and then make their way to some lit
tie settlement on the Gulf of Carpentaria
or on the peninsula of Cape York, whence