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

there was no reason 70 conclude that
the Dresdnaught and her crew had
fallen victims to sea robbers at this
point
Continuing her course toward the
northwest, the steamer kept up her
search among the islands along the
coast of Sumatra- On June 20 the
southerly end of the Malay peninsula
was sighted, and the Molly's Hope short
ly afterwards put in at the port of SIN
gapore.
As the engines called for repairs, Capt
Willis was obliged to make stay OF
two weeks in this port, which is situat-
ed on the southerly side OF the small
island of the same name. This little
island, however, since the English first
selected it as naval and commercial
station in 1878, has steadily increased in
Importance, fact due to its admirable
situation on the line of trade between
America and the Indies.
It will be remembered that il was at
this port that the Dreadnaught was TO
land portion Of her cargo before pro-
ceeding to Calcutta 1t will also be
remembered that the American clipper
ship never entered this port. However,
journ here to investigate the eircum-
stances of every wreck that had been
reported within late years.
From the very fact that the Dread
naught had been signaled off the port
of Macassar and that she had never
reached Singapore, II became necessary
to assume that she had been wrecked
somewhere between these two points.
True, there was another position to
take, and il was that Capt John had
left the Java sea ana run out into the
Indian ocean through the strait of
Lombok or strait of Sunda. And yet
why should he have done this, in
asmuch as he was bound for Singapore?
Such supposition had nothing to sup
port il.
By August 25 the steamer was ready
for sea, and Capt. Willis. by coasting
along the Simoa islands, left no point
unvisited- One after the other he made
thorough search on Madura, Bally,
Lombok and Sumbawa islands. The
Molly's Hope had great difficulty at
times to keep herself from being caught
in the violent currents flowing through
the different straits opening into the
Indian ocean, currents so strong that a
ship is carried along even in the teeth
of the monsoon. 1t will be readily un-
derstood that a sailing vessel would
find 1t almost impossible to escape from
one OF these impetuous swirls to the
southwark.
After leaving Flores island Capt
Willis continued to skirt along the
chain of islands shutting in the Flores
and Banda seas on the south, but no
tidings of Capt. John and his COM
panions, no trace of the beautiful clip
per ship, rewarded their efforts. Nat
urally the crew of the Molly's Hope
felt the depressing effect of this long
and fruitless cruise. But, however, IL
was too soon to give up all hope, as the
search was really not yet completed IL
was possible that Capt. John, instead
of entering Macassar strait after leav-
ing Mindanao, had chosen the Molucca
passage and had entered the Java sea
through the Banda and Flores seas
But the time was running down and
the logbook of the Molly's Hope con-
tinued to make no mention of any trace
or tidings of the lost vessel Neither
at Timor nor among the three groups
which make up the Molucea archipela-
go did Capt. Willis come upon any bit
or shred of information which might
point to the fact that the Inflated clip
per had been lost in these waters.
When the search steamer had reached
the island of Gilolo the circle was COM
plete. Capt Willis had made the
rounds of the eastern archipelago, he
had ended the task which had been rs
signed him.
Having taken on the necessary sup
plies of provisions and coal, the Molly's
Hope on January 0 was headed for
home. Thus ended the year 1851,
the sixth since the Dreadnaught had
last been heard from. 1t was not until
January % that the steamer was
sighted at the signal station of San
Diego.
The Malaysian campaign had lasted
nineteen months and in spite of the
prodigious efforts of Capt Willis, sec
onded by the admirable devotion Of his
officers and crew, the mystery of the
Dreadnaught remained as dark and
deep as ever.