Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-11-25

broken at rather a sharp angle. There
/ was also a narrow opening in the line
I of reefs evidenced by the absence OF
I breakers
/ In short half hour the steam launch
was lowered away, Capt Willis himself
being in command of it. With him
were Zach French and others necessary
/ to man the launch Out of caution,
/ two rifles, two hatchets and several re
volvers were taken along During the
/ captains absence, the mate was to keep
the Molly's Hope in position in the
/ open roadstead and reply to any signals
which might be made
I At half past one the steam launch put
off and headed for the shore, distant
about a mile AS she entered the mar
row passage, countless sea fowls filed
the air with shrill cries. In few min
utes the launch struck gently on a
sandy beach pierced here and there
with pointed rocks Capt Willis with
Zach and the two seamen landed at
once. leaving the boat in charge of the
engineer and fremen with orders to
keep steam up. Passing through the
gorge. down which the stream reached
the sea, the four men soon found them
selves upon the island ledge. Some
hundred or more yards away there was
a rocky elevation commanding a view
of the beach.
Willis and his men at once set out for
this point, and having scaled it with
some difficulty were thus enabled to get
a complete view Of the island In con-
formation it resembled the shell of a
huge tortoise, the jutting point repre-
senting the animals tail In spots there
were slight layers of soil covering this
body of the island From the top of
this high point Capt Willis and his men
bent their gaze in every direction. No
smoke went curling upward. no human
being showed himself. The conclusion
was that if Browse island had been in
habited, and there could be no doubt Of
that. it was very unlikely that it con-
tinued to be so.
This is sorry place for castaways,"
remarked Willis IF they were forced
to stay here for any length of time the
mystery is what they lived on"
YES" answered French, 'it's nothing
but bare table of rock, with a small
clump of trees here and there, and only
a thin layer of soil in places. But after
all castaways have no right to be hard
to please. A bit of ground under your
feet is better than a hole in the deep
sea-"
AT the start, yes," replied Willis,
but later on"
al asidcs." added Zach, 'it's quite pos
sible that the castaways who sought
refuge on this island were promptly
tal,-n off by some passing vessel"
las it is also quite possible that they
all perished from h unger and exposure. :"
What makes you think so, captain?'
Because when they discovered that
It was in their power to get away from
this island they would have taken down
that signal 1t looks to me as IL the
last of these unfortunates must have
died before relief came. Anyway, let
us go and examine that signal; it's bare
ly possible that we may come upon
some evidence of the nationality Of the
ship which went ashore here"
Capt Willis and his men made their
way down from the elevation and set
out for the promontory which jutted
out to the northward. But hardly had
they taken half dozen steps when one
of the men stopped to pick up some
thing which had struck against his foot.
"nold on, what's this?" said he.
Lets seer replied French.
It was the blade of knife such as
sailors carry in their belts in a leather
sheath. Broken off even with the ham
die and full of hicks, the blade had
doubtless been thrown away as useless.
"Well, Zachp" asked Willis.
'I'm looking for some mark to show
where it was manufactured" answered
the boatswain-
1t was natural to suppose that it
would bear some makers mark, but II
had become so rusted that until some
what cleaned off nothing could be dis
cerned. Having done this, French sue
ceeded in deciphering the words
stamped upon the blade. They were:
Sheffield, England" Capt. Willis and
his companions continued their way
towards the promontory. 1t was hard
tramp through this wild region. Ad-
mitting that it had ever been visited by
man. considerable time must have
elapsed since then as it was impossible
to discover any traces Of foot prints
After they had proceeded for about two
miles, Capt Willis halted near a clump
Of cocoa trees, stunted and scrubby, the
nuts of which long since fallen to the
ground were completely decayed.
Up to this moment the party had come
upon no additional evidence. but at a
few feet from this clump of trees on the
slope Of slight hollow there were un-
doubted traces Of planting in the up
turned soil now thinly overgrown with
underbrush. The vines of sweet pota-
toes and yams run wild were recognized
By merest chance one of the seamen
came upon pick hidden under briars
The tool had been deeply corroded by
rust. but from the manner in which the
handle was fitted to it there was no
doubt of its being American make.
What do you think of it, captain?"
asked French
81 don't think we're called upon TO
pass Judgment now" answered Willis
Then let's push on aheadr' said
French, as he motioned to the seamen
to follow HIM Having made their way
down the sloping sides of the main
ledge, they reached level spot from
which the rocky headland jutted boldly
ont to the northward. At this point
they came upon a narrow cleft in the
rock through which they were enabled
without any difficulty TO reach n stretch
of sandy beach below them. 1t was
nbout an acre in area, and was shut in
by rocks over whose handsome rcd
dish surfaces the breakers swept inces-
sanity.
Scattered over this stretch of sand
there were many objects going to prove
that human beings had made a pro-
longed stay in this part of the island
bits of glass and china, fragments of
earthern ware, scraps of iron, provis-
ion cans of undoubted American origin,
and, in addition to these, were noted
utensils common to shipboard, pieces of
chain, broken rings, parts OF rigging in
galvanized iron, graphing iron, hoist
ing tackle, pump handle, fragments
of spars and floats and pieces Of sheet
iron torn off water caslx, as to the ori-
gin Of which no Californian sailor could
possibly go astray.
"It was no English ship that ran on
this island" said Capt Willis, 'ft was
an American vessel"
"Yes," cried out Zach French, "and
take my word for it, she was built in one
of the Pacific ports;' an opinion that