The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-03-20

t,amn through this Wild region. Ad-
hitting that it had ever been visited by
man considerable time must have
a,ansed since then as IL was impossible
20 discover any traces Of foot prints
After they had proceeded for about two
miles. Capt Willis halted near ciump
~ 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
unon no additional evidence, but at a
few feet from this clump of trees on the
slone OF a slight hollow there were un-
donbted traces of planting in the mp
turned soil now thinly overgrown with
underbrush. The vines of sweet pota-
toes and vans run wild were recognized.
Rv merest chance one OF the seamen
came upon a pick hidden under briars.
The tool had been deeply corroded py
,rst but from the manner In which the
handle was fitted TO 1t there was no
doubt of its being American make.
"What do you think OF it, captain?'
asked French.
az don't think we're called upon to
pass judgment now," answered Wins.
"Then let's push on aheadP' said
French. as he motioned TO the seamen
20 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 a stretch
of sandy beach below them. 1t was
about an acre in area, and was shut In
by rocks over whose handsome red
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 pro-
longed stay in this part OF the island
bits Of glass and china, fragments OF
earthc-n 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, n graphing iron, hoist
ing tackle, q pump handle, fragments
of spars and floats and pieces of sheet
iron torn off water cask, as to the orr
gin of which no Californian sailor could
possibly go astray.
1T was no English ship that ran on
this island" said Capt. Willis, lit was
an American vessel"
"Yes," cried out Zach French, "and
take my word for il, she was built in one
of the Pacific ports;" an opinion that
was shared by the other seamen.
But still rs yet there was nothing TO
show that this ship had been the i'll
fated Dreadnaught- At all events, the
question was: Did not this vessel-from
whatever port she hailed-go down in
the open sea, since there were no signs
of any part of her hull? Had not her
crew taken refuge on this island by
means of the ships boats? No! for
Capt. Willis soon came upon proof that
this vessel had been wrecked upon
these reefs. At about a cables length,
wedged in among the rocks and reefs,
| Law the miserable remnant of a ship
| which had been driven ashore by the
! fury Of tho gale and upon which the
| waves had beaten with tempestuous
| violence until oak and iron had parted
| and everything had been wrenched
asunder pounded into fragments, scat
| tered and strewn and tossed up over the
mighty rush of the sea. Sadly and 81
| lently Willis and his men stood gazing
| upon the prey TO which these rocks still
chung so tenaciously. OF this ships
hull there was nothing remaining,
nothing of the upper works, no trace OF
tho masting, either from having been
| cut away at sea, or from having been
| put To some use on shore after the
| laundering Of the vessel.
LET US set to work." cried Capt
Willis, "and perhaps we may find some
name, some letter, some mark which
will fix the nationality of this craft"
"Yes," replied Zach French, "art
may Heaven grant that it will not turr
out to be Capt. Johns ship that was re
duced to this awful plight"
The examination produced no definite
result While it was true that article,
picked up on the beach were undoubt
edly of American manufacture, yet wa
| tlcre no RrOunu 10 blnIul tA.dl llty ndt
once belonged TO the Inflated Dread
naught. One Of the seamen soon cam,
upon the cave which had been utilized
by the castaways. II penetrated int
an enormous mass of granite at th
angle formed by the plateau and th
beach. Capt. Willis and Zach mad
haste to join the man who was halloo
ing to them. II might be that within
this cave would be solved the secret o
the wreck, that in this dark chambc
would be revealed the name Of the YES
sell The only entrance to the cave wa
through narrow, arched passagewa,
near which opening lay the ashes Of a
exterior fireplace, the smoke of whicI
had blackcned the walls. The cav
proved To be about twenty by fiftee,
feet in size with a ten-foot ceiling
quite large enough TO accommodate
dozen people. The place was quite bar
excepting the presence of rude bed G
dried grass covered with bits and shred
of an old sail. n bench made of pieces G
| N ,,lopix tun stoola fashioned In, tb