The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1893-01-04
THE CALIFORNIANS.
By JULES VERNE.
CHAPTER XVI.-CoNTINUED.


result. While it was true that articles
picked up on the beach were undoubt-
eddy of American manufacture, yet was
there no ground to affirm that they had
once belonged to the Inflated Dread
naught. One of the seamen soon came
upon the cave which had been utilized
by the castaways. 1t penetrated into
an enormous mass of granite at the
angle formed by the plateau and the
beach. Capt Willis and Zach made
haste to join the man who was halloo-
this cave would be solved the secret of
the wreck, that in this dark chamber
would be revealed the name of the YES
sci! The only entrance to the cave was
through a narrow, arched passageway
near which opening lay the ashes of an
exterior fireplace, the smoke of which
had blackened the walls. The cave
proved to be about twenty by fifteen
feet in size with a ten-foot ceiling
quite large enough to accommodate a
dozen people. The place was quite bare
excepting the presence of a rude bed of
dried grass covered with bits and shreds
of an old sail, a bench made of pieces of
a plank, two stools fashioned in the
same style, rickety table from the
wreck, possibly from the ships cabin.
In the way of utensils, there were a
few plates, few iron dishes, three
forks, two spoons, a knife and three
metal drinking cups all eaten by rust.
'Poor wretches!' murrnured Zach
French, 'what restitution they must
have suffered during their stay on this
island"
'"They don 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 existence!
And how they must have suffered"
Yes, with this slo4der store eked out
with such fish as tIzey 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 posi-
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, ''taat these castaways
were taken off the island"
''But how?'' asked Capt. Willis.
Gould they have possibly with the
debris of the wreck built raft large
enough to put to sea?'
"No, captain, they didn' t have enough
to build canoe with. incline to the
opinion that their signal must have
been seen by passing vessel"
'But, Zach, 1 can't bring myself to
think it."
"Why not, captain?"
Because, if passing ship had seen
them and taken them off, the whole
world would have heard of it, unless that
ship itself had gone down with every
soul on board, which is hardly SUPPOSE
BILE. I 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 to build raft still there's no