The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-03-15

sM.s.tSSs3H2y 1.SAi[[1
THE sTAUNcH STEAMER MoLLY's 'HoPE
SIGHTED THg HARAroUBAs ISLANDS.
quite densely populated, Hawaii alone
having hundred thousand inhabitants,
and had the Dreadnaught been wrecked
on these coasts the news of the disaster
would most surely have been sent to
Washington by the American CONNER
cial agents resident on the islands.
Anyway, four years before this,
when Capt. Willis spoke the Dread
naught, the two ships met to the west
ward of the Sandwich group Molly's
Hope now continued her course to the
southwest across this wonderful ocean
which well merits it's name during the
several months Of the warm season.
SIX days later the fast steamer had
crossed that imaginary line running
north and south by which geographerB
separate Polynesia and Micronesia.
Capt. Willis had no reason to search
this western portion Of the Polynesian
waters, but beyond them, the Micro
nesian seas swarmed with islands, islets
and reefs which IL now became the
perilous duty Of tho Molly's Hope to
search for traces of q wreck.
On August % they touched at Odia,
the fnEgest of the Marshall group, Wis
ited by Kotzebue and the Russ ians in
1917. This group is spread out over .
space thirty miles east and west by
thirteen miles north and south and
doesn't contain fewer than sixty-five
islets or attolons Although the Mol
ly's Hope might have taken on supply
iof fresh water in few hours from this
island, yet she prolonged her stay for
five days.
Lowering his steam launch Capt,
Willis was able to convince himself that
mo ship had been lost on these reefs
during the four years just past. They
noticed some drift wsod along the
shore of the Mulgrave islands, but it
was only the trunks of FIR trees, palms
and bamboos used by the natives in
building their pirogues, and had no
doubt been caught in the ocean cur
rents. Willis learned from the chief of
Odia island that since 1872 there had
only been a report of one wreck on the
eastern attoolns and that was an Eng
lishbrig, the crew Of which had later
been taken or.
Once outside of the Marshall archi-
pelago the Molly's Hope turned her
head towards the Caroline islands. On
his way, by means of his steam launch,
Willis made the circuit of Ualan island
but without any results. On Septem-
ber he entered that vast archipelago
known as the Caroline islands, taking
for the headquarters of his operations
the island of Yap which is one of the
five hundred islands making up the Car
oline group. From this point the cap
tain pushed his investigations in all |
directions.
The devotion of his men was beyond |
praise. Not murmur was heard on |
account of the dangers and fatigues
connected with the task Of exploring
these countless reefs and passing l
through these narrow channels, the
bottoms Of which bristled with coral
laceous growths. Besides, the pleasant
season was now over, and there were
already reminders of those terrible
gales which send so many ships to tho
bottom. Every day the ships boats
searched for creeks and coves into
which the currents might have cast
some bit OF the wreck. In all these ex-
cursions the men were well armed. for
II was far different work from the
search for Sir John Franklin which
took place on the uninhabited shores of
the Arctic regions. Most of these islands
were inhabited, and Capt. Willis in
variably made strenuous efforts TO es-
taolish friendly relations with the ma
tves, but, In spite of his overturas. be
sometimes met with hostile demopstr,.
e'ohs, In which severai oI nis men We.e
wounded
IL was from this point that Cant
willis made his first report 40 Mrs
Alaire, but as all his labors had pro-
duced no results II was resolved TO con-
tinuc the search further west.
On the second day of December the
Molly's Hope reached the Philippines.
seven hundred miles to the westward
Of the Caroline group. These islands
were discovered by Magellan In 1871
and are the most important of the
halaysian archipelago. Capt Willis
lid not touch at any point ON the coast
~ Luzon island How could 10 be pos
'ible that the Dreadnaught ever got so
ar north In the China sea when she
vas sailing. for Singapore? For this
eason Willis preferred 90 make the {