The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1892-12-17
refuge on this island were promptly

refuge on this island were promptly
taken off by some passing vessel"
''As it is also quite possible that they
all perishcl from hunger 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 if the
last of these unfortunates must have
died before relief came. Anyway, let
us go and examine that signal; it's bare
" 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 u dozen steps when one
cf the men stopped to pick up some
thing which had struck against his foot.
Hold on, what's this?" said he.
Lets sccr' replied French.
1t was the blade Of n knife such as
sailorscarry in their belts in leather
sheath Broken off even with the ham
die 9fi.4 fiji 6f piclss, the blade had
sWsi' dove! 'FsgG sEea awnE Wiliis. as useless
>-,odiii 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 it
had become SO rusted that until some
what cleaned off nothing could be dis
cerned. Having done this, French sue
ceeded in deciphering the lords
stamped upon the blade. They were:
Sheffield, England" Capt. Willis and
his companions continued their way
towards the promontory. 1t was u hard
tramp through this wild egion. Ad-
hitting 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 foT 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 dechyed.
Up to this moment the party had come
upoa no additional evidence, but at a
| few feet from this clump of trees on the
slope of Il 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 yans run wild were recognized.
By merest chance one of the seamen
came upon II 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 nc
doubt of its being American make.
what do you think of it, eaptain?'
asked French.
81 don't think we're called upon tC
pass Judgment now," answered Willis.
"Then let's push on ahead!" said
French, rs he motioned to the seamer
to follow him. Having made their way
down the sloping sides of the mair
ledge, they reached level spot from
which the rocky headland, ,jutted boldl,
out to the northward At this point
they came upon narrow cleft IL tn,
rock through which they were enabled
without any difficulty 20 reach q stretcl
of sandy beach below them. 1tewa
about an acre in area, and was shut !
by rocks over whose handsome red
dish surfaces the breakers swept inces
sanity.
Scattered over this stretch of san
there were many objects going to prov
that human beings had made pre-
longed stay in this part of the island
bits of glass and china, fragments Q
earthern ware, scraps of iron, provis
ion cans of undoubted American origin
and, in addition TO these, were note
utensils common to shipboard, pieces o
chain, broken rings, parts of rigging il
galvanized iron, u graphing iron, hoist
ing tackle, pump handle, fragment
eof spars and floats and pieces of sheet
iron torn of y water cask, as to the ori
gin of which no Californian sailor coul
possibly go astray.
at was no English ship that ran OIL
this island, !" said Capt. Willis, sit wa
an American vessel"
"Yes," cried out Zach French, "anc
take my word for it, she was built in on
of the Pacific ports;" an opinion tina
was shared by the other seamen.
But still as yet there was nothing t,
show that this ship had been the ill
fated Dreadnaught. At all events, tn
question was: Did not this vessel-fror
whatever port she hailed-go down Il
the open sea, since there were no sign
. of any part of her hull? Had not he
crew taken refuge on this island b,
means of the ships boats? No! 70
4 Capt. Willis soon came upon proof tina
b this vessel. had been wrecked upol
these reefs. At about a cables length
wedged in among the rocks and reefs
lay the miserable remnant of shil
which had been driyer ashore by tn
fury of the gale and upon which tn
waves had beaten with tempestuou
violence until oak and iron had parte'
and everything had been wrenche
asunder pounded into fragments, sea,
tered and strewn and tossed up over tn
mighty rush of the sea. Sadly and s.
lcntly Willis and his men stood gain
upon the prey to which these rocks stil
clung SO tenaciously. OF this ship
hull there was nothing remaining
nothing of the upper works, no trace o
the masting, either from having bee
cut away at sea, or from having bee
put to some use on shore after tn
laundering of the vessel.
Let us set to work." cried Cap
Willis, "lnd perhaps we may find som
name, some letter, some mark whic
will fix the nationality of this craft"
YES" replied Zach French, san
may Heaven grant that it viii not tur
out to be Capt. Johns ship that was rt
duced to this awful plight"
The examination produced no definit
result. While it was true that article
picked up on the beach were undoub
edly of American manufacture, yet wa
there no ground to affirm that they ha
once belonged to the Inflated Dreac
naught. One of the seamen soon cam
To be continued.
49, A5EA IA 81