The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-03-18
CHAPTER XIII.
CHAPTER Kill
CRUISE OF THE noLLY's HOPE IN THE TrMoh
SEA.

SEA.
Cant. Willis sailed from San Diego at
Zen o'clock on the morning of April 8,
1882. following southeasterly course,
with the intention of proceeding by as
direct a route as possible TO the Torres
strait and so into Arafoora sea.
The Mollys Hope not having any
reason for touching at the Gilbert or
Salmon islands, after an uneventful
voyage of three weeks, sighted first the
high land of the New Guinea coast and
then the most northerly point OF Aus
fralia known as Cape York.
Torres strait, lying between this
point and the New Guinea coast, enjoys
the repute of being an extremely dan
serous passage, partly due 10 the vio-
lent current which sets in from east to
west and partly TO the shoal water.
Only for certain part of the day while
she sun is in such a position as TO make
the breakers plainly visible, is it at all
safe TO venture into this narrow water
lane.
'was II quite as far up as Melville
island that the Golden Gate picked up
xhe fragment of the wreck?" asked
Capt. Willis of Boatswain French.
"Quite," replied Zach.
s'It must be FIVE hundred miles be-
Rond the strait"
"At least, captain" replied Zach,
ssand / can understand your surprise.
FOR, knowing as we do the existence OF
these strong westerly currents, it would
seem from having found the piece OF
wreck off Melville island that the
Dreadnaught must have been lost at
+he entrance to Torres strait"
Precisely, Zach, and we would be
forced TO conclude that Capt. John had
made choice of this dangerous passage
TO reach Singapore. Now, that never
can admit Unless something happens
ITO change my opinion i shall stick to
NV belief that he crossed the eastern
archipelago, as we did in our first ex-
pedition, for the last. time he was seen
was to the south of Celebes island"
"And as there is no other conclusion
possible for us to reach," remarked the
mate, sit follows that II Capt. Allairo
entered Timor sea he did so through
one of the straits separating the Sunda
islands"
ssIt can't be otherwise" replied the
captain, "and can't understand how
yhe Dreadnaught was ever carried to-
ward the eastward. Now either he was
dismantled or he was not. If he was
aismantled he should have been carried
hundreds of miles to the west of Torres
strait. If he was not, why should he
have returned towards this strait, when
% ~ IaGtinafinY, lox ~
in the opposite direction?"
'T don't know what to think" an
swered the mate. IF the piece of
wreck had been found in the Indian
ocean it might be explained by assum-
ing that the clipper ship had been
wrecked on the Sunda islands or on the
west coast of Australia"
"While the fact is" replied Capt. Will
dis, ''thst the bit of wreck was found as
Ear up as Melville island, which would
go TO prove that the Dreadnaught had
been lost in Arafoora sea near Torres
strait or in the strait itself"
''It may be-" said French, "that there
are counter currents along the Austria
liam coast which may have carried the
piece of,wreck towards the strait. In
that case the ship may have gone to
pieces in the western portion of Ara
foora sea-"
''It will come out in good time" an
swered Captain Willis; meanwhile, let
ais work our ship as IL the Dreadnaught
had gone TO pieces on the reefs of Torres
strait"
"And If we work her WELL" added
Zach, "we shall find Capt. John"
This was the best thing that could
be done, and this was what they did do.
Torres strait is about thirty miles
wide and swarms with reefs and inlets,
them on level with the water. The
natives are very skillful in the manage
ment of their light pirogues and have
no difficulty in crossing from one shore
20 another. Therefore, il Capt. John
and his companions had taken refuge
on one of these inlets il would have
been easy enough for them 10 reach
the Australian coast and then make
their way TO some little settlement or
the gulf of Carpentaria or on tho
peninsula of Cape York, whence they
WOutu ilufC Ato kItaO
reaching home. On the other hand, the
moment il was assumed that Capt
John had never entered Torres strait
then arose the question of the fragment
of wreck and how to explain its presenc,
off Melville island.
Capt Willis ran the Molly's Hop,
boldly into this dangerous passage
3zeeping close 10 the Australian coast
Upon nearing Murray island the up
proach of a number of dugouts was sig
nailed, but the natives who manned
them as well as those who gathered on
the shores as the Molly's Hope steamed
slowly by contented themselves with
uttering wild war whoops and brandish
tng their battle spears
For a whole month, up to June 10
Willis and his indefatigable searcher,
continued 10 ransack the coasts of the
islands lying between the gulf OF Car
oentaria and New Guinea. Not a bit
or shred of rigging. not broken spar
r piece Of wood was picked up by Capt.
Willis TO lead him 20 think that the