The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-03-21
THE CALIFORNIANS.
CHAPTER xvI-Continued.
BY JULES VERNE


French, "what destitution they mnst
have suffered during their stay on this
island"
"They don't seem TO have saved scarce
ly anything of the ships material" re-
piled Capt. Willis. "and that proves the
violence with which she must have run
on these rocks and reefs. AS every
thing went to pieces, how were these
unfortunate beings able TO procure food?
No doubt they had little grain which
they sowed, some salt meat, some
canned provisions which they gradually
exhausted. But what an eXistencel
And how they must have sufferedw
Yes, with this slender store elSed out
with such fish as they might be able to
catch, such were the only means they
had TO keep body and soul together.
There no longer seemed TO be any possi-
bility that they could still be upon the
island. And yet if they had been forced
TO lay their bones here it was very prob
able that the remains of the one who
had died last would be found some
where. But in spite of all the patient
searching done inside and out of this
cave, no trace of their bodies could be
found.
This leads me TO think" observed
Zach French, that these castaways
were taken off the island"
But how?" asked Capt. Willis.
"Could they have possibly with the
debris of the wreck built raft large
enough TO put to sea?"
"No, captain. they didn't have enough
20 build a canoe with. incline TO the
opinion that their signal must have
been seen by passing vessel"
"But, Zach, can't bring myself &c
think it,"
"Why not. captain?"
Because, il passing ship had seen
them and taken them off, the whole
world would have heard oft, unless that
ship itself had gone down with every
soul on board, which is hardly SUPPOSE
BILE therefore can't accept the theory
that the castaways of Browse island
were rescued in any such way"
''You may be right. captain" said
Zach, sadly, ''but if it was impossible
for them 10 build a raft still there's no
proof that all the ships boats perished
in the wreck"
''Eyen So" replied Willis, "but since
there has been no report in the past few
wears of a ships crew being rescued In
the latitude of western Australia, II S
my opinion that this vessel must have
foundered during its passage from the
Australian coast to this island"
Zach saw that he would have little
show of overcoming this theory; but
still being unwilling to leave undons
anything which might aid them in
learning what had become Of the cast
aways, he added: But captain, you
surely intend to visit the other parts of
the island?"
''Yes. to keep my conscience quiet,
replied Willis; "but first let's go and
and remove that signal so that vessels
will not be influenced to leave their
course to save people who don't exist. F"
The captain and Zach and the Others
now made a last examination of the
beach, then, having gained the plateau
by passing through the gorge, they
turned their steps toward the promon-
tory.
They found IL necessary TO pass
around deep excavation, a sort of
stony pond fed by the rains and cloud
bursts, in order to keep on their way.
Suddenly Willis came TO q halt and
pointed at four mounds parallel with
each other. Possibly they would have
escaped his attention had they not been
marked by small wooden crosses now
partially decayed. They were graves
1t was the cemetery Of the castaways.
"At last" cried Willis. "we're in a
position to learn"
The two sailors set to work making
use of their knives to loosen the dirt,
but many years must have elapsed since
the burial. for the graves contained
nothing uut bones. Willis ordered
them to be closed again and the crosses
to be replaced. The truth concerning
the wreck on Browse island had again
escaped Willis and his companions. II
four human beings had been buried on
this spot, what had become of him who
had rendered them this last service?
And he, too, when death struck him
down. where had he fallen? Would