The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-07-30

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Our readers will remember that about the Is
| of April the wreck of the bark j. C.. Fremont
which was lost on Christmas Island in November
last, together with her cargo of lumber, was sole
at public auction and bought by JAS. |. Dowsett
ESQ.,, and others of this port. The purchaser,
Immediately fitted out the brig John Dunlap ant
schooner Dolphin and despatched them to thai
island. They sailed hence on the Goth of April
and after a passage of fourteen days anchored
under the lee of Christmas Island.
The shape of this island is that of a horseshoe,
with a spur of land running out from the south
eastern side of the island. The center of the
island forms a large bay, or lagoon as it has i'm
properly been called, open to the sea on the
western or lee side of the island. AT the mouth
of this bay is a small island, called Sandy Island
on each side of which is a passage into the bay,
through which vessels can go, but they rarely do
SO, as the anchorage in the north passage is a
safe roadstead, with the wind blowing off shore.
Soon after anchoring, the briggs crew was
divided into exploring parties, and started off to
discover the wreck of the Fremont, taking two
days %rations. One party followed the shore from
the northwest point of the island, the other party
$500 NAO nv Abhos -1ae~A WV
days travelling, during which they had progressed
but about twenty miles, they were forced to
return to the brig for provisions. This part of
the island was found covered with numerous
small lagoons of salt water, through which the
explorers had to ford in some instances as deep as
their breasts. The water was so acrid from the
evaporation and heat, that in some of the lagoons
it was impossible to remain in it. On dipping
the hand in the water and drying it, it would
become covered with a crust of salt. The north
side of the island was found to be indented with
a succession of bays ONE three or four miles
deep.
After seven days searching, the wreck was dis
covered in the large bay ON the eastern side of
the Island, formed by the point of land running
out to the southeast. 1t lay beached high and
dry, but not easy of access, and between forty
and fifty miles from the brig. The island APP
peared not to have been visited since the loss of
the Fremont.
Our adventurous commenced getting out the
lumber and piling it up in lumber yard fashion,
and made preparations for carting it overland.
They had taken with them drays, carts and three
horses. From the wreck the lumber had to be
carted to a lake about seven miles distant. This
lake is about five miles long, at one end of which
they erected Il camp and at the other end another
camp. At the last camp a well was dug, which
furnished tolerably good water, and though some
what brackish, the horses drank it freely. On
arriving at the lake, the lumber was RATED across
it. five miles, then carted again about one mile,
then RATED again across the bay some twenty
miles or more to the brig. In crossing the bay
tbpv found n sand how halle ,a;Io u;Jo ,rb;oI,
stretched across its entire length, and which was
dry at low water, but had about twelve or fifteen
inches on it at high tibe. Here the RATS had to
be lightened and wait for high water. The
water in the bay is smooth, and excepting this
bar, there was no difficulty in crossing it.
But the labor of getting the lumber from the
wreck, to the brig, a distance of f~orty-fve miles
was no small task. The brig brought about
40 900 feet, and left about 100, 900 feet piled up,
ready for carting. n gang of men and the
schooner were left at the island, and it is thought
that all the lumber, 200, 900 to 300, 900 feet, and
whatever is valuable about the wreck will be
ready for shipment ON the return of a vessel.
The brig is too small, and a vessel of $50 tons
would be filled readily.
The horses which were taken down to the
Iclduu " dItiup gave Out. III ccdtl1 tdIle.
owing probably to the heat and salt water, as
well as to a want of grain. There is plenty Of
grass on the island, such as it is. The horses
preferred this to the hay taken for them.
Capt. Hooper informs us that on the south
west point of the island there is a grove of cocoa
nut trees, numbering perhaps six hundred. On
the north side of the bay there are also two or
three clusters of cocoanut trees, and a cluster on
the southeast point. These clusters cannot be
seen from each other as they are twenty-five miles
apart. The island is much larger than it is gen.
orally supposed to be, and is all of fifty miles IN
length. In the large southeast bay, where so
many wrecks occur, there is no anchorage. The
water is very deep close in to the shore, with a
strong tide and surf setting in shore. The land
is not over ten feet in height in any part, and
cannot be seen from a ships deck more than eight
or ten miles distant. Navigators should therefore
be cautious is approaching it.
Great numbers of birds exist on the island, as
well as turtle; and in the bay near the wreck
the fish are so abundant and tame that sitting on
the beach with a hook and line, fine large fish
could be hauled in as fast as the hooks could be
bated.
Capt. Hooper found pieces of the wreck of the
Braton, lost about twenty years ago ON that
island. The timbers were known to be hers, as
they were cedar, of which wq the Braon was
constructed. But a singular circumstance no.
ticed was that these timbers lie about GOO feet
from the present shore, and it is supposed that
the land has made out that distance into the sea
during the twenty years since the wreck occurred.
This would appear to be satisfactory evidence that
the island is extending its limits. Pieces of ship
timber were found strewed along the shore for "a
distance of more than forty miles.
a singular circumstance noticed was, that the
fish in the large lagoon or lake near which the
camps were erected, were all dead, and in passing
over the water in a boat they could be seen
lying on the bottom dead; and on the lee
shore of this lake, these fishes, which resembled
herring. only q litle larrer wore niled I'M in